atlantic lichens on hazel in Uragh Wood

[collbradan]

Hey all, first post from a very amateur lichen fan. I was in Uragh Wood (SW Ireland) today and these were growing on hazel- I thought maybe Pyrenula hibernica and Leptogium hibernicum? Afraid I didn't take spores. Thanks, James

[Dave Lamacraft]

Hi James, fresh from a day of looking at Pyrenula hibernica in its only Welsh site, so yes, you're right with that one I'd say. You can see it doing it's characteristic splitting thing in your first Leptogium pic - the thallus so thick and waxy it doesn't seem to be able to expand at the same rate as the hazel stems once they get over a certain size. The Leptogium looks along the right lines to me, but I'll leave it to someone else as I'm not familiar with hibernicum. I think a key feature is a tomentose lower surface, which should be easy enough to check, the Nordic flora notes...'Easily distinguished by the wrinkled, strongly swelling thallus and the short hairs which superficially look like pruina' (presumably relating to the underside, although it does also say they can be present on the upper. Hope that helps! Dave