Help with ID please

[willowjay]

These were found on rocks on the shore line. They were on the North Brittany coast - but I guess the habitat is not too different from Cornwall?

All info gratefully received



many thanks

willowjay

[JennyS]

The brown, foliose lichen is Anaptychia runcinata and the fruticose greenish-white one above it is a species of Ramalina.

[willowjay]

Thank you so much. I had looked on the British Lichens site, but got hopelessly lost! I wanted to take more pictures of the rocks, there seemed to be some beautiful lichens there, but a grumbling husband, and incoming tide stopped me snapping away.

[AlanS]

Hi Willowjay, yes, it looks like these North Brittany rocks are much like those on the west coast of Britain or Ireland.

As Jenny says, the brown one is Anaptychia runcinata, which is often conspicuous on our own coastline.

The Ramalina is undoubtedly R. siliquosa - again usually very common on coastal rocks here, though confusable with other Ramalina species.

You also have a grey crustose lichen in the foreground at the left of the photograph. One really needs a lens to confirm this one, as details of the surface are distinctive (covered in 'schizidia') and the rather scattered fruitbodies (apothecia) have their own distinctive look. However, from the general appearance and after comparing with my own photographs (not yet up on my website) I think this is very probably Aspicilia leprosescens. This is common on rocks where seagulls perch (and add nutrients).

Alan