Sue
@sueinscotland.bsky.social
Lichens, botany, gardening, anything that sparks my curiosity
They would not work for drying the lichen as it is sealed between plastic film. The nearest I have seen available on the internet are for displaying jewellery: search for clearview 3d floating display boxes. They could be used for storage once the lichen is stabilised and dried. 2/2
December 4, 2025 at 4:55 PM
They would not work for drying the lichen as it is sealed between plastic film. The nearest I have seen available on the internet are for displaying jewellery: search for clearview 3d floating display boxes. They could be used for storage once the lichen is stabilised and dried. 2/2
I have small boxes that come apart and each inner side has springy plastic stretched across it. They were originally used to transport optical components for lasers (then thrown away) but I think they would work well for transporting soil lichens home. 1/2
December 4, 2025 at 4:38 PM
I have small boxes that come apart and each inner side has springy plastic stretched across it. They were originally used to transport optical components for lasers (then thrown away) but I think they would work well for transporting soil lichens home. 1/2
Yes, it has striations.
September 29, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Yes, it has striations.
Think I might have panther cap in my lawn, along with Fly agaric and peppery bolete which I read is linked with the Fly agaric rather than tree roots
September 29, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Think I might have panther cap in my lawn, along with Fly agaric and peppery bolete which I read is linked with the Fly agaric rather than tree roots
If you have a sample and some acetone, this might confirm or deny. From McCune and Geiser, 2009https://lichens.twinferntech.net/hyna/characteristics.shtml#:~:text=Upper%20Surface%20Color%20of%20Thallus,crystalline%20deposit%20of%20usnic%20acid.
September 5, 2025 at 7:58 AM
If you have a sample and some acetone, this might confirm or deny. From McCune and Geiser, 2009https://lichens.twinferntech.net/hyna/characteristics.shtml#:~:text=Upper%20Surface%20Color%20of%20Thallus,crystalline%20deposit%20of%20usnic%20acid.
Found a big stand of Hybrid Woundwort (Stachys x ambigua) which is a cross between Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) and Marsh Woundwort (Stachys palustris). Later in the walk I found the 2 parents. Comparison photos show all 3, L to R: Marsh, Hybrid, Hedge.
July 17, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Found a big stand of Hybrid Woundwort (Stachys x ambigua) which is a cross between Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) and Marsh Woundwort (Stachys palustris). Later in the walk I found the 2 parents. Comparison photos show all 3, L to R: Marsh, Hybrid, Hedge.
2/2 Spores simple and elliptical. The Pd reaction was really quick, yellow to red.
June 25, 2025 at 2:58 PM
2/2 Spores simple and elliptical. The Pd reaction was really quick, yellow to red.
More from the garden fence. Another light brown crustose thallus but with a few apothecia. Puzzled over this one as not many spores. It keyed out as Lecanora conizaeoides which used to be really common in UK but is now much rarer according to Dobson. ID confirmed by Brian Coppins. #lichenGBI 1/2
June 25, 2025 at 2:52 PM
More from the garden fence. Another light brown crustose thallus but with a few apothecia. Puzzled over this one as not many spores. It keyed out as Lecanora conizaeoides which used to be really common in UK but is now much rarer according to Dobson. ID confirmed by Brian Coppins. #lichenGBI 1/2
2/2 #lichenGBI More pictures of Hypocenomyce scalaris, and an example with apothecia. Usually I see this lichen on Scots pine trees but very pleased to find it on the fence.
June 25, 2025 at 2:39 PM
2/2 #lichenGBI More pictures of Hypocenomyce scalaris, and an example with apothecia. Usually I see this lichen on Scots pine trees but very pleased to find it on the fence.
We recently removed some of an old (pine) fence and as well as gaining some firewood, I acquired plenty of lichen samples to play with. So far, I have identified 2 of the crustose ones. First up is Hypocenomyce scalaris. No apothecia on my sample but unmistakeable C+red reaction #lichensGBI 1/2
June 25, 2025 at 2:28 PM
We recently removed some of an old (pine) fence and as well as gaining some firewood, I acquired plenty of lichen samples to play with. So far, I have identified 2 of the crustose ones. First up is Hypocenomyce scalaris. No apothecia on my sample but unmistakeable C+red reaction #lichensGBI 1/2
2/2 More pictures of Pectinea plumbea showing apothecial section and simple elliptical spores
June 21, 2025 at 9:06 AM
2/2 More pictures of Pectinea plumbea showing apothecial section and simple elliptical spores
A visit to Beachen (say Bee - ach - en) Wood in Grantown-on Spey (NJ0228, vc75) surprised me with lichens I associate more with the West Coast and wetter weather. Here is Degelia plumbea (now Pectinea plumbea) #lichengbi 1/2
June 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM
A visit to Beachen (say Bee - ach - en) Wood in Grantown-on Spey (NJ0228, vc75) surprised me with lichens I associate more with the West Coast and wetter weather. Here is Degelia plumbea (now Pectinea plumbea) #lichengbi 1/2
I had a similar one in the garden
June 16, 2025 at 10:01 PM
I had a similar one in the garden
Still here? I just love this solitary apothecium with its halo of cilia/rhizines. "Apothecia: infrequent, up to 1.5 mm in diam., sessile, the margin entire or grossly crenate, usually with a corona of rhizines" 3/3
lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/... CNALH
lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/... CNALH
April 27, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Still here? I just love this solitary apothecium with its halo of cilia/rhizines. "Apothecia: infrequent, up to 1.5 mm in diam., sessile, the margin entire or grossly crenate, usually with a corona of rhizines" 3/3
lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/... CNALH
lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/... CNALH
Pictures of the underside - dark with black rhizines. Dark soralia, some with green centres. Testing K- though orange sections of thallus were K+red. Hang on in there for the amazing apothecium in next post! 2/3
April 27, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Pictures of the underside - dark with black rhizines. Dark soralia, some with green centres. Testing K- though orange sections of thallus were K+red. Hang on in there for the amazing apothecium in next post! 2/3
Phaeophyscia orbicularis #lichenGBI. The first time I found this I struggled to get to an ID as it was not orbicular at all, just a series of amalgamated thalli. This will be a longish thread but shows how these don't always look like their pictures in the books! 1/3 (I think!)
April 27, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Phaeophyscia orbicularis #lichenGBI. The first time I found this I struggled to get to an ID as it was not orbicular at all, just a series of amalgamated thalli. This will be a longish thread but shows how these don't always look like their pictures in the books! 1/3 (I think!)
Here's Physcia caesia and Phaeophyscia orbicularis on the same concrete gate post. P. caesia (on left) is whiter with blueish soralia. Phaeo. orbicularis (on right) is darker. As Anthony says, this was alongside a main road. Haven't read his field notes yet so willing to be corrected!
April 27, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Here's Physcia caesia and Phaeophyscia orbicularis on the same concrete gate post. P. caesia (on left) is whiter with blueish soralia. Phaeo. orbicularis (on right) is darker. As Anthony says, this was alongside a main road. Haven't read his field notes yet so willing to be corrected!
An easily recognisable #lichenGBI because of its big black apothecia - Porpidia macrocarpa. Found in Grantown-on-Spey, Moray, Scotland, vc 95 on a sandstone garden wall. I had not realised that there are 2 forms. My sample turned out to be P. macrocarpa f. nigrocruenta (exciple K+ crimson)
April 25, 2025 at 3:58 PM
An easily recognisable #lichenGBI because of its big black apothecia - Porpidia macrocarpa. Found in Grantown-on-Spey, Moray, Scotland, vc 95 on a sandstone garden wall. I had not realised that there are 2 forms. My sample turned out to be P. macrocarpa f. nigrocruenta (exciple K+ crimson)
Sectioning an apothecium gave a weird "holey" appearance - which I now think are spores. Once I found the spores, they were enormous, simple and elliptical with a very thick wall. To check that I had M. sanguinarius, not M. sanguinariodes, I looked at the section using crossed polarising film. 2/2
April 13, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Sectioning an apothecium gave a weird "holey" appearance - which I now think are spores. Once I found the spores, they were enormous, simple and elliptical with a very thick wall. To check that I had M. sanguinarius, not M. sanguinariodes, I looked at the section using crossed polarising film. 2/2
Bloody Heart Lichen #LichenGBI aka Mycoblastus sanguinarius found on a dead pine branch at Glenmore, Inverness-shire, vc96. So called for the red colouration under the apothecia (so I would have identified this sooner if I had scratched of an apothecium) 1/2
April 13, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Bloody Heart Lichen #LichenGBI aka Mycoblastus sanguinarius found on a dead pine branch at Glenmore, Inverness-shire, vc96. So called for the red colouration under the apothecia (so I would have identified this sooner if I had scratched of an apothecium) 1/2
The asci were long and cylindrical, whereas the ones for Anisomeridium ranunculosporum are obpyriform which means like an upside down pear shape. The description for Arthopyrenia analepta says perithecia are ellipsoid and with flat border formed by spreading involucrellum photo shows this 2/2
March 24, 2025 at 9:23 AM
The asci were long and cylindrical, whereas the ones for Anisomeridium ranunculosporum are obpyriform which means like an upside down pear shape. The description for Arthopyrenia analepta says perithecia are ellipsoid and with flat border formed by spreading involucrellum photo shows this 2/2
#lichenGBI. Another lichen with perithecia on the same branch as Porina aenea. Struggled with getting an ID for this one and at first went for Anisomeridium ranunculosporum but the ascus size and shape was wrong and eventually got to Arthopyrenia analepta. Thread 1/2
March 24, 2025 at 9:15 AM
#lichenGBI. Another lichen with perithecia on the same branch as Porina aenea. Struggled with getting an ID for this one and at first went for Anisomeridium ranunculosporum but the ascus size and shape was wrong and eventually got to Arthopyrenia analepta. Thread 1/2
A few more photos. There was another lichen with perithecia on the same branch, which I'll put in another post #perithecia 2/2
March 24, 2025 at 8:59 AM
A few more photos. There was another lichen with perithecia on the same branch, which I'll put in another post #perithecia 2/2
#lichensGBI I too have been discovering Porina aenea for the first time so I am attaching a thread. This one was in East Inverness-shire, vc 96, Scotland NN713992. It is supposed to be common but being so small I expect it is overlooked. I'd not noticed it before and you need a hand lens 1/2
March 24, 2025 at 8:47 AM
#lichensGBI I too have been discovering Porina aenea for the first time so I am attaching a thread. This one was in East Inverness-shire, vc 96, Scotland NN713992. It is supposed to be common but being so small I expect it is overlooked. I'd not noticed it before and you need a hand lens 1/2
Some close up photos of Xanthoria elegans on graph paper (2mm squares) for scale. As the lichen is foliose it is easy to detach a piece for closer examination. 2/2
March 16, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Some close up photos of Xanthoria elegans on graph paper (2mm squares) for scale. As the lichen is foliose it is easy to detach a piece for closer examination. 2/2