Lichen ID please

[heatherannej]

I'm assuming that I have photographed lichen here but seriously need help so that I know what I'm looking at :-) Many thanks Heather

[hobble]

I think it is Cladonia potentosa. It is a lichen.
I stand to be corrected though.
We have a lot of it on our trees here.

[poschiavanus]

I'd go for an Usnea species: more likely on twigs, than members of Cladonia. I'd like to see more detail before venturing further and embarrassing myself when the real lichen experts come along. The other grey flattish one is a Hypogymnia.

[heatherannej]

When you say "more detail" - would you like me to post another pic? :-)
Heather

[heatherannej]

I've just visited the pic I posted and seen that JennyS has done some clever sorting and identifications ..... I think it is all sorted. Thank you all :-)
Heather

[JennyS]

Hi heather - you've several different lichens in your photo.....

In the centre is an Usnea, but not sure without seeing the stem colour at base which species



the one below is Hypogymnia physodes



and from the top left and right corners probably Platismatia glauca



Sorry about the delay - my daughter rang whilst I was in the middle of posting!

[JennyS]

Hi hobble - I can see how you got a bit confused visually between Usnea's (usually found on trees) and Cladonia portentosa (not a tree-growing species) - the link below shows some photos of Cladonia portentosa for comparison:

Cladonia portentosa

[heatherannej]

I'm impressed JennyS. Here is the full image I took - I don't know whether that helps you further re the stem colour. I wouldn't know what I was looking at :-) I had to shrink it so I hope you can see everything OK.
Many thanks Heather

[AlanS]

Hello Heather,

As others have said, your main lichen is an Usnea, and identification of these from photographs is very nearly impossible. There are several fine details that have to be checked and each species is variable on overall growth form.

However, I see that your photograph is from Bruar Falls in central Scotland and geography helps us a lot here. A lot of the more western Usneas will not be at Bruar. Also, as others have said, your Usnea is growing with Platismatia glauca and Hypogymnia physodes, both of which indicate very nutrient-poor conditions.

Combining ecology with geography and ruling out a couple of species that we can eliminate on the basis of the photograph, we are left with two real possibilities I think.

1) Usnea subfloridana. Very common in that area and much the most likely identity for your photograph.
2) Usnea wasmuthii. Much less common, but looks almost identical to U. subfloridana and undoubtedly is much overlooked.

Interestingly, what we can see of the branches suggests they are rather smooth (possibly lacking the more persistent isidia (minute, peg-like projections) of U. subfloridana), and makes me think about number 2, but the strong balance of probability is towards number 1. However, without seeing the details of the fine cracking at the base of the main stem and, quite possibly, without chemical testing, we shall never know.

If anyone is interested, I have recently been adding Usnea species to my own website, see the thumbnail index at Alan Silverside's photographs of lichens (Thumbnail index U to Z + photobionts). I have a couple more to add, but unfortunately I don't yet have photographs of U. wasmuthii.

(And, yes, as others have pointed out, Cladonia portentosa is strictly a ground dwelling species and does not grow in trees.)

Alan

[heatherannej]

WOW. Thank you all so much. :-) Heather