Lecanora muralis ??

[kiltoncomp]

this was one of many growing on an old railway bridge parapet stone,
my best shot is for Lecanora muralis, but others in this group look very similar to me



any pointers most welcome,

Brian.

[JennyS]

Yes, it looks good for Lecanora muralis

[kiltoncomp]

Originally Posted by JennyS

Yes, it looks good for Lecanora muralis

Hi jenny, thanks for that,
after looking at the british lichens website i was not totally sure of this one , as there are quite a few similar ones,


Brian.

[AlanS]

Originally Posted by kiltoncomp

after looking at the british lichens website i was not totally sure of this one , as there are quite a few similar ones,

Actually, Lecanora muralis is quite easy. The centre part of the thallus is a crust, no sign of lobing, so you are dealing with a lichen that is crustose with an apparently lobed margin (technically 'placodioid'). There are several bright yellow/orange lichens of this description in the genus Caloplaca, but you have a pale grey to beige species with brown discs (apothecia) and in lowland Britain that pretty much means Lecanora muralis.

Lecanora is a big genus, but unless you are at high altitude or on the north Scottish coast and also VERY lucky, you are not going to see any other Lecanora with the same placodioid margin as L. muralis. Maybe there is something else in another genus - placodioid margins are not that unusual - but nothing comes to mind.

Obviously I join with Jenny in supporting your ID!

Alan

[kiltoncomp]

Many thanks for your confirmation , it was the brown ascocarps that i thought could make it something else, as there were several lichens with similar ones, i suppose thats the danger of limited experience and lots of similar ones shown in books and websites to confuse beginners,
it gets easier with more experiance, but can still be confusing at times, i think that even here in the midlands we are seeing more lichens than in previous years, (or is it because i am noticing more of them ?)


Brian.