skellig michael lichens

8/2/2019 Skellig Michael Lichens

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Photographic guide to selected lichens of

Skellig Michael

Some terms to aid in reading the species descriptions below.

Thallus: the main body of the lichens

Apothecia: small reproductive structures that often look like jam tarts.

Lichenologists often compare the colour of the rim of the apothecia and the

colour of the disc as an aid to identification.

Foliose: flat and leaf-like

Isidia: finger-like asexual reproductive structure.


2/14

1

Name:Anaptychia ciliaris subsp.

mamillata

Comment: A rare species in Ireland,

but locally frequent on Skellig

Michael.

Conservation Evaluation: Nationally

scarce.

Name:Anaptychia runcinata

Comment: A foliose lichen that is

green when wet (as in the

photograph here) and brown when

dry. The colour of the rim of the

apothecia is the same as the thallus.

Conservation Evaluation: Least

concern.

Name:Amandinea coniops

Comment: Thallus light grey to

brown. Apothecia dark brown. A

species associated with bird

droppings. Abundant on the North

and East steps of the island.


scarce. Maritime indicator species.


3/14

2

Name:Aspicilia leprosescens

Comment: Cracked scruffy looking

grey/green lichen. A species

associated with bird droppings.


concern.

Name:Buellia subdisciformis

Comment: Whitish brown cracked

thallus with a black edge. Apothecia

are black and abundant. A species of

dryer sheltered rocks.


concern.

Name:Caloplaca britannica

Comment: An orange to yellow lichen

with a lumpy thallus. A species of dry

recesses and underhangs.Conservation Evaluation: Nationally

rare,International responsibility


4/14

3

Name:Caloplaca marina

Comment: More yellow than orange

and with small apothecia especially

crowded towards the centre of the

thallus. A species of the Orange

Supralittoral zone.Conservation Evaluation: Least

concern

Name:Caloplaca littorea

Comment: Found on silica rich rocks

in dry conditions such as those found

under large overhanging rocks and

cliffs. The dense population of orange

finger-like isidia help in its

identification.


scarce

Name: Caloplaca arcis (yellow) is a

new addition to the Irish lichen flora

(2009). It is growing here on an even

rarer species, Lecania poeltii, (see

below) a new addition to the UK andIrish lichen flora.

Image provided by Robert Thompson .


5/14

4

Name:Caloplaca thallincola

Comment: A bright orange thallus

with a distinct finger-like edge. Often

found growing over the black tar

lichen (Verrucaria). A species of the

Orange Supralittoral zone.


concern

Name:Caloplaca verruculifera

Comment: A lemon-yellow finger-

like thallus. Apothecia are rare but

tiny coral-like isidia are common.

Forms near circular patches.

Abundant on Skellig Michael and

associated with bird manure.


concern

Name:Cladonia foliacea

Comment: A bush-like

arrangement of tiny plates or

squamules, one side of the

squamules lighter in colour.


concern


6/14

5

Name:Dermatocarponminiatum

Comment: The lobes are frequently

incised giving a multi-lobed

appearance. The surface has a whitish

powdery or pruinose texture.


concern. Maritime indicator species.

Name:Collema furfuraceum

Comment: Sometimes called 'bat

wings' the thallus is a dark brown to

black membrane-like structure with

large characteristic lobes that haveprominent ridges.


concern

Name:Diploicia canescens

Comment: The thallus is white to light

grey in colour and frequently takes on

a fan-like shape of 40 mm to 55mm

radius.


concern


7/14

6

Name:Flavoparmelia caperata

Comment: This is a large leafy lichen

with a pale yellow/green colour. The

lobes range in size from 5 to 13mm

and are round at the tips andsometimes with indents. It has a

corrugated appearance. .


concern

Name:Gyalecta jenensis

Comment: Reddish orange apothecia

found in crevices of highly calcareous

rocks indicating a calcareous horizon

in this sandstone boulder.


concern

Name:Lecania aipospila

Comment: Forms light grey patches

on rocks. The central area is lumpy

due to papillae or warts. Apothecia

are common and sometimes sit on

top of the papillae.


scarce


8/14

7

Name:Lecanora actophila

Comment: The dull white thallus has

extensive irregular cracks; the

prothallus is white. Apothecia are

common with the rim the same

colour as the thallus.


concern

Name:Lecanora helicopis

Comment: A dirty white to grey

cracked thallus with a prominent

prothallus. The apothecia have ablack disc and a rim similar in colour

to the thallus.


concern

Name:Lecania poeltii, (with the

yellow Caloplaca arcis growing on it)

is a new addition to the UK and Irish

lichen flora. Lecania poeltiiis only

know previously from coastal areas ofsouth-western Europe (Portugal) and

northern Africa (Morocco and

Algeria), (van den Boom et. al. 1996).

It was found on the concrete hut near

the helipad.

Image provided by Robert Thompson .


9/14

8

Name:Lecanora poliophaea

Comment: Thallus is granular grainy

and areolate with a white to verdigris

colour. The edge is poorly defined

with a white to blush prothallus. The

areoles are variable in size. Associated

with bird manuring sites.


concern

Name:Lecanora sulphurea

Comment: A lumpy sulphur green

crustose thallus. Apothecia are

common and variable in shape.


concern

Name:Lecanora zosterae

Comment: Apothecia are thin and

flattened with light grey discs and thin

thalline margins. Found mainly on

dead Sea Thrift stems (Armeria

maritima) on very exposed shores.


scarce


10/14

9

Name:Lecidella meiococca

Comment: The thallus is buff yellow-

orange and granular. Apothecia are

dark brown/black. Maritime indicator

species.


scarce

Name:Leprocaulon microscopicum

Comment: Watery green in colour

and has a powdery or leprose texture.

It is covered with minute white

granules. Overall the lichen is very

fragile and disintegrates when

touched. Maritime indicator species.


concern

Name:Lichina confinis

Comment: The thallus is dark olive-

brown and grows as small compact

tufts among seaweeds on the middle

to upper shore.


concern


11/14

10

Name:Ochrolechia parella

Comment: Thallus and apothecia are

white. Forms circular or elongated

growths. Likes direct sunlight. Very

common shore lichen in Ireland.Conservation Evaluation: Least

concern

Name:Parmotrema perlatum

Comment: A leafy or foliose lichen

with a grey-green thallus that is

loosely attached to branches or rocks.

A single specimen can grow to about

15 cm in size.


concern

Name:Opegrapha calcarea

Comment: Black lirellae often piled in

stacks (elongated apothecia). Thallus a

light pink to grey colour.


concern


12/14

11

Name:Pertusaria pseudocorallina

Comment: The thick or thin thallus is

a creamy white colour; generally it is

wrinkled and uneven. A distinguishing

feature is the tiny peg-like isidia

(brown tipped) which are generally

scattered across the thallus


concern

Name:Ramalina cuspidata

Comment: The tufted semi-erect

strap-like thallus has a shiny cream-

grey to ivory colour. The base of the

tuft is black. Parts of the strap-like

thallus may also become blackened.


concern

Name:Ramalina chondrina. ThisNationally rare RDB Near

threatened lichen was found on the

east bank near the steps leading

from Christs Saddle to the

Monastery.


13/14

12

Name:Ramalina siliquosa

Comment: Thallus either erect or

pendent. Slightly glossy with warts.

Easy to confuse with Ramalina

cuspidata.Conservation Evaluation: Least

concern

Name:Solenopsora vulturiensis

Comment: The thallus is composed of

squamulose lobes. Colour varies from

blue-grey-white to olive-green, green

becoming prominent when the

specimen is wet. Apothecia (black

disks) uncommon.


concern

Name:Tephromela atra

Comment: Warty white-grey thallus.

Lots of apothecia with a black disc and

white rim.


concern


14/14

13

All photographs copyright of John Douglass and Paul Whelan unless otherwise stated.

Reference

See www.lichens.ie for further descriptions of Irish lichens.

THE END

Name:Toninia aromatica

Comment: The thallus is made up of

dark grey lumpy squamules. The

apothecia are black. Toninia aromatica

tends to grow along crevices in rockand often associated with mortar. A

Maritime indicator species.


concern

Name:Xanthoria aureola

Comment: A yellow thallus with

distinct lobes and thalline apothecia.

Also has wrinkled strap-like lobes

crossing haphazardly across each

other. Apothecia are rare.


concern
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skellig michael lichens

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