Three more lichen

[JennyS]

1. I'm wondering if this lichen is Melanelia elegantula?
Clues appreciated for the darker-green one above left and bluish-white centre above and bottom left. On tree in car park.


2. Is the wonderfully revolting one below a Dermatocarpon species? Chestnut-brown below, on rocks at edge of sea.


3. Albino Cladonia? On mossy tree trunk.

[NickCantle]

Wondering if they should start a Lichen forum in your honour

[JennyS]

Not until I get a vastly lot better at identifying them

There must be lots of other Wabbers with Lichen photos to post ....... tell me I'm not a solitary budding lichen-loony! Someone else start some lichen threads to keep me company please!

[FungiJohn]

Originally Posted by JennyS

Not until I get a vastly lot better at identifying them

There must be lots of other Wabbers with Lichen photos to post ....... please tell me I'm not a solitary budding lichen-loony!

Don't worry Jenny. I've a few from a recent visit to Scotland ...You're not alone
John

[JennyS]

Hi John - have you photos in the Gallery of them?

[FungiJohn]

Not yet Jenny. I'm going to upload a thread of the trip plus images soon .. ish

John

[JennyS]

Looking forward to seeing your trip thread

[poschiavanus]

Originally Posted by JennyS

1. I'm wondering if this lichen is Melanelia elegantula?
Clues appreciated for the darker-green one above left and bluish-white centre above and bottom left. On tree in car park.

I'd agree that this is a Melanelia (now Melanelixia) species, but I think its more likely to be M. fuliginosa ssp. grabratula or M. subaurifera. You can rub a finger over the isidia and see what colour they go (yellowish with subaurifera). Also look at the colour on the underside of the thallus. The bluish-white one looks like Parmelia sulcata, and there appears to be a lot of Physcia tenella with apothecia (ciliated lobes and ends of lobes reflexed and covered with soredia). Don't know about the darker green one. These lichens are quite low on the pollution index (around 4, I think), so that might be a clue.

2. Is the wonderfully revolting one below a Dermatocarpon species? Chestnut-brown below, on rocks at edge of sea.

Not got a clue! Not even sure if its a lichen. For instance I've been wondering if it might be a sponge.

3. Albino Cladonia? On mossy tree trunk.

Certainly Cladonia. Looks as if its been zapped by something.

posch

[JennyS]

I'd agree that this is a Melanelia (now Melanelixia) species, but I think its more likely to be M. fuliginosa ssp. grabratula or M. subaurifera. You can rub a finger over the isidia and see what colour they go (yellowish with subaurifera). Also look at the colour on the underside of the thallus.

Thanks posch!
I'll post the maybe-sponge in the Water-life forum and see if I get any clues. Do you have any suggestions what might have zapped the cladonia - in the photo that it's cropped from everything around it is normal coloured?

[poschiavanus]

No doubt it'll turn out to be something completely different!

Sorry I don't know about the Cladonia. I don't recall ever having read about them having different chemotypes (which in some lichens results in the thallus being different colours), so pretty sure this is dead/dying. The lichens which I've seen dying have usually had a pinkish colour to them as various chemicals decompose: but my experience is limited. You'll also have to get used to the ones where a snail or slug has had a got chomp. They like to graze off the principle recognition characters.

posch