Irish lichens

Phlyctis agelaea
Order: Ostropales       Family: Phlyctidaceae

Species: Phlyctis agelaea

Growth type crustose.
Photos: On Acer trunk. Bantry, Co. Cork, SW Ireland.

Thin, powdery to rough, cracked thallus, whitish to pale-grey with a white prothallus. Usually fertile, with greyish, white-pruinose apothecia +/- deeply hidden in powdery-granular warts. Ascus is usually 2-spored, with muriform spores. Soralia are absent.
Thallus K+ yellow going red, C-, KC+ red, P+ orange, UV-

Infrequent but possibly overlooked on the trunks and branches of young smooth-barked trees in moist habitats. Rare on rocks.

Similar: Phlyctis argena. Thallus sorediate, apothecia rare.
Pertusaria multipuncta. Discs more exposed, thallus K+ yellow


Phlyctis agelaea

Phlyctis agelaea
Above: Phlyctis agelaea May 2010. Close up of apothecia

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