Any Lichen Lovers?

[Billy in Belgium]

Hi All,

Would anyone know of the existence of any online guides to common lichen species of Britain? Would there be anything like the WAB online fungi guide?

Many thanks

Billy

[NickCantle]

You might want to search a WAB member who goes by the name of Poschiavanus- a very intellectual chap who happens to know his stuff about Lichens.

[JennyS]

I don't know if the member who started this thread is still around, but for anyone interested a couple of very good online Lichen resources are:

British Lichens

Alan Silverside's lichen pages - photographs of British lichens

and also there is The British Lichen Society

[Jason Green]

Interesting links Jenny - your posts on the subject have highlighted lichens to me, so I'll try and learn some species as at the moment I know nothing of this order at all.

Thanks J

EDIT: I've made my first ID - Lecanora chlarotera is the one you find commonly on pavements by the kerb, isn't it?

[poschiavanus]

Close Jason: its Lecanora muralis, the 'chewing gum' lichen. Its particularly distinctive because of the placodioid (I have to check the spelling of this word every time) margin: the edge of the thallus is puckered into lobes which look as if they are not closely attached to the surface. The rest of the lichen is very firmly attached (and may even be in) the substrate. Here's a not particularly good image:

Lecanora chlarotera is found on tree trunks, and is pretty common. See on this image:.

JennyS has already given the best links to lichen images for Britain and Ireland. There is however a very useful site at the Luxembourg Natural History Museum.

posch

P.S. Nick's being too kind. I contribute on lichens as much as to improve my own knowledge (or to stop that which I have from being lost entirely). But, also in the hope that just acting as a sounding board is useful to other WABbers.

[Jason Green]

I see - yes, very much like CG! Thanks for the correction, Posch

[gleditsa]

Originally Posted by poschiavanus

P.S. Nick's being too kind. I contribute on lichens as much as to improve my own knowledge (or to stop that which I have from being lost entirely). But, also in the hope that just acting as a sounding board is useful to other WABbers.

i think that you are too modest, your knowledge and the willingness to share it with everyone is a credit to you,
WAB and all its users are very lucky to have you as a member.

[AlanS]

Jenny posted a couple of links to valuable websites on British lichens.

However, she missed out this one (modesty? forum rules?).

Irish Lichens - Index

Whenever I look at it I am torn between stunned admiration and wholehearted, full-on sheer jealousy (of her web skills, her photography and simply of the species she has in her part of the world).

It has rapidly become one of the essential sites.

Alan

[AlanS]

Oh, and by the way.

Poschaivanus has posted pictures above of the best known 'chewing gum lichen', Lecanora muralis.

It is not the only one that forms rounded patches on pavements. On some types of paving stone, Aspicilia contorta is becoming locally abundant and at even a close distance it looks even more like chewing gum than L. muralis does.

I read somewhere that a village council is considering a request to bring in a by-law banning the sale of chewing gum because of all the unsightly patches from discarded gum. I wonder if those behind the request have got down on hands and knees and checked the patches with a hand-lens?
[Hint, if the patches consist mainly of white areoles each with a thick-walled apothecium, then a ban on sale of chewing gum might not make a lot of difference!]

Alan