Yet more Scilly Lichens

[Tiggrx]

Have had a few days break from looking at these lichen pictures and think I will make this my last batch.

This one nearly looks like a coral! On coastal rocks. Could it be a Stereocaulon sp.?


Fringing the edge of a very upper shore rockpool. It is a Xanthoria or something similar?


In damp bare hollows in coastal heathland. Maybe a Cladonia of some sort?


On coastal rocks. Would like it to be something different but somehow I get a feeling it will turn out to be a form Ramalina siliquosa (again)

[AlanS]

Hi Tiggrx

1. Sphaerophorus fragilis. Generally thought of as an upland species, but also on exposed coasts. No dot for the Isles of Scilly in Dobson, so possibly a good record. Stereocaulon looks coral-like because of the numerous coralloid squamules (phyllocladia), whereas in Sphaeophorus the thallus itself is divided into many tiny fingers. S. fragilis is like the more common S. globosus, but is more compact and always looks as though it has just had a hair-cut.

2. Xanthoria ectaneoides.
The Powers That Be have decided this should now be called Xanthoria aureola, which is less than convenient as that name is still in common (even if erroneous) use for another lichen and records are already becoming hopelessly mixed up. It would be very nice if the Powers That Be made the effort to read the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, specifically Article 57, which was brought in to avoid exactly this type of problem.

3. Yes, a Cladonia, one of the species that exists mainly as basal squamules. It looks like it may have a white underside and could well be C. subcervicornis and the habitat is right, but this is not a definite ID. C. foliacea is one of several that are very similar, it being common on southern coasts but yellowish underneath.

4. Yup, you guessed it ...

Alan

[Tiggrx]

Thanks again Alan for your help.

I had looked more than once at Sphaerophorus fragilis but for some reason discounted it. I think it was one of my favourite of the lichens I saw on this holiday. Such a distinct looking lichen. Interesting that there was no dot for the Scillies. I found it at a site on St Martin's which is supposed to be important for rare lichens so I would be surprised if it was not know about.

I do have another picture of a Cladonia very similar to the one here and taken on slightly drier ground not far away which shows definite white undersides so I guess at least that one is probably C. subcervicornis.

I originally had the Ramalina labelled as R. canariensis - glad I decided not to go with that

Originally Posted by AlanS

Hi Tiggrx

1. Sphaerophorus fragilis. Generally thought of as an upland species, but also on exposed coasts. No dot for the Isles of Scilly in Dobson, so possibly a good record. Stereocaulon looks coral-like because of the numerous coralloid squamules (phyllocladia), whereas in Sphaeophorus the thallus itself is divided into many tiny fingers. S. fragilis is like the more common S. globosus, but is more compact and always looks as though it has just had a hair-cut.

2. Xanthoria ectaneoides.
The Powers That Be have decided this should now be called Xanthoria aureola, which is less than convenient as that name is still in common (even if erroneous) use for another lichen and records are already becoming hopelessly mixed up. It would be very nice if the Powers That Be made the effort to read the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, specifically Article 57, which was brought in to avoid exactly this type of problem.

3. Yes, a Cladonia, one of the species that exists mainly as basal squamules. It looks like it may have a white underside and could well be C. subcervicornis and the habitat is right, but this is not a definite ID. C. foliacea is one of several that are very similar, it being common on southern coasts but yellowish underneath.

4. Yup, you guessed it ...

Alan