Another Lichen ID please

[RingwayRoy]

I should firstly apologise for the poor photographs (extension tubes on order).

Can anyone have a stab at these for me please?

Its suprisingly addictive this lichen spotting eh....

[AlanS]

Hi Roy,

Photographing small lichens on branches is always difficult, not merely in getting close enough, but also in keeping the camera steady enough - and it is surprising how much even the larger branches can sway even in a slight wind. We develop tricks to get around this, but all hail to the gods for digital photography, enabling us to take many, many pictures, in the hope that maybe just one will have the definition we need! So no criticism of your efforts, even though their identification is not easy.

One clue is that it is clear you are dealing with a set of species that are tolerant to atmospheric ammonia deposition from agriculture and vehicle exhaust fumes. This cuts down the possibilities (a lot!).

One extra clue you could give is location - at least indicating which part of the country. This is always helpful and something people often forget to do.

Anyhow, some names ..

From left to right,

1. Physcia tenella. This is so common now with ammonification that it is easy to recognise even out of focus! It is an early colonist, particularly where it looks like not much else will grow.

2. The grey lichens are a mixture of Physcia tenella and P. adscendens - again the critical features are not discernable but the overall look of the population is distinctive.
The yellow lichen is much more difficult without seeing it clearly, and there are a few species that come to mind. My hunch is that it is Candelaria concolor, but while it is spreading in Britain and now widespread, it is still local and much more frequent in the south - hence my wish for geographical clues. My second guess is Xanthoria ucrainica, from the way it is growing. That is another species that is spreading with ammonification, and it is currently more common than Candelaria. There are other possibilties, so a detailed photograph really is needed.

3. Parmelia sulcata. Common, and generally recognisable by the minute white network on the upper surface (though it shares this character with other true Parmelia species.)

If I can be forgiven for plugging my own website, pictures and more information on all of these here.

Alan

[AlanS]

As an addendum ...

I notice your photographs are entitled "lichen survey", so perhaps it will be helpful if I point out another species in photographs 2 and 3.

It is a brown, inconspicuous, slightly shiny, foliose species, and is a species of Melanelixia (which, until recently was Melanelia, as in the last edition of 'Dobson', and before that was in Parmelia).
Again, going on appearance, as critical characters are not visible, I would say it is Melanelixia subaurifera. (Picture in Dobson is undoubtedly correct but less brown than usual.)

It is not an indicator species of ammonification but evidently it is reasonably tolerant, continuing to survive in species-poor, polluted areas.

Alan

[RingwayRoy]

Thanks Alan.. very interesting indeed.

The area is just north of Wigan, Lancashire.

All these lichen were photographed beside a fast running shallow stream bordered by grazing land - but perhaps significantly the stream has evidence of possible acid mine drainage (orange suspended particulates on the stream bed)

I also noted much Xanthoria parietina at the same location.. strange as the locale is quite a distance from possible airborne pollutants - at least in high concentrations.. (I would have thought?)

.. and yes I'm studying environmental science at that moment so your detailed answer is of much help... revising the nitrogen cycle as we speak.

Thank You