Help with 3 crustose lichens please

[chrisjohnson]

Found on Salix bark.
The orange one looks like Caloplaca crenularia but the 1-septate spores don't match the image in Dobson.
The pinky-grey one to the right I think is Lecanora albella but confirmation or otherwise would be good.
The Black one I have little idea about. The spores are simple: 12-15 x 7-8.5 µm and the asci are bacidia-type.
Any help appreciated.
Thanks,
Chris

[AlanS]

Hi Chris

Numbered from left to right:

1) I think this is Lecidella elaeochroma. The black prothallus supports this, spore size is in range and while Lecidella supposedly has asci of "Lecanora type", there is not much difference between "Lecanora type" and "Bacidia type".

2) Looking at this was a "Wow moment" - then I saw where you are posting from and it made sense. This is Caloplaca ferruginea, now a rare species, extinct in much of Britain, and indeed in much of Europe, but still holding on well in NW Scotland. Map on the NBN, which is reasonably up to date for Scotland, suggests this may be new for the Outer Hebrides, so worth sending a bit to RBG, Edinburgh for confirmation, if it can be collected without endangering the colony and if you want to follow it up. (Or for that matter, send it to me: Dr. A.J. Silverside, School of Science, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Renfrewshire, PA1 2BE, then I can check it and pass it on, and ensure it gets into the Scottish Sites Lichen Database, which feeds into the NBN, and into the Edinburgh Herbarium.)
C. ferruginea is a nice thing - I was delighted to find it when with the British Lichen Society on Jura last year.

3) Much more likely to be Lecanora carpinea, but, either way, needs a chemical test. Pd provides the best separation but is difficult to obtain and tricky to use, so simplest is to test the apothecia with bleach. If yellow, then L. carpinea, but note it is the apothecia that must be tested.

[chrisjohnson]

Hi Alan

Many thanks for the detailed and helpful reply.

Regarding the Lecanora; I only have a tiny piece and as I am new to chemical testing and haven't sourced any Pd yet, perhaps I can send this to you along with the Caloplaca ferruginea sample?

Best wishes,

Chris

[AlanS]

Just to confirm package received, but as I am up to my eyes in exam scripts to mark (posting here is displacement activity) - I have not opened it yet, or replied to your e-mail - which I shall do.

I do Pd tests in batches, generally when I am working through Cladonia, as it is tricky to use and nasty stuff, and loses its power quite quickly, but I have other Lecanora specimens to test (sometime), so I shall include it with them.

Alan

[chrisjohnson]

Thanks Alan, absolutely no rush. It was nice of you to offer.

Chris