Order: Lecanorales       Family: Lecanoraceae Species: Lecidella asema Growth type crustose. Photos: On coastal rocks. Snave and Allihies, Co. Cork, SW Ireland. Very variable. Thickish, coarsely-granular thallus, pale fawn-ochre, becoming +/- greyish in shade. Frequent black apothecia, flat becoming convex, the thin, blackish margins excluded with age. The asci are 8-spored, spores simple, 10-13(-20) x 6-9 µm. Microscope photograph below. Reactions variable, thallus: K +/- yellow, C+ orange, P- Coastal on siliceous rocks and sometimes found on decaying Thrift. Common on exposed shores, rare on upland rocks. Two colour morphs are sometimes distinguished: var. asema, greenish and var. elaeochromoides, pale ochre.

Microscope photograph

Lecidella asema. September 2009 and March 2012