Common?

[jezlee]

I see this everywhere, so I think it is very common - is it Xanthoria parietina, sometimes known as the Common Orange Lichen? This was photographed on a Hawthorn branch in Staffs.

[AlanS]

Originally Posted by jezlee

I see this everywhere, so I think it is very common - is it Xanthoria parietina, sometimes known as the Common Orange Lichen? This was photographed on a Hawthorn branch in Staffs.

Yes, this is good Xanthoria parietina.

There are other Xanthoria species, and other bright yellow-orange lichens that are not Xanthoria at all, but no trouble with this one.

Time was, it was seen mainly by the coast and on farm buildings, but it is one of the species that has spread rapidly as a result of atmospheric nitrate deposition.

Alan

[jezlee]

Originally Posted by AlanS

Yes, this is good Xanthoria parietina.

There are other Xanthoria species, and other bright yellow-orange lichens that are not Xanthoria at all, but no trouble with this one.

Time was, it was seen mainly by the coast and on farm buildings, but it is one of the species that has spread rapidly as a result of atmospheric nitrate deposition.

Alan

Thanks for the confirmation, Alan! Lichens are one of the things I have started noticing lately – they are all around you when you start looking for them, aren't they?

So, are you saying that nitrates are being deposited from the atmosphere and this lichen thrives on them? And is this as a result of the increased use of nitrates in agriculture?