24138_Lichen_Scot_24138_Lichen_Scot 11/12/2009 16:18 Page 1 Key features The central elastic strand in Usnea species (e.g. U. filipendula) 3 SHRUBBY BEARD, HAIR & CORAL LICHENS The use of a hand lens (pr eferably of x10 magnification) is recommended to examine and appreciate some of the key features of the lichens in this guide . A (x10) in the text indicates when a hand lens is necessar y. Colour Ramalina farinacea Shaggy Strap Lichen Evernia prunastri Oak Moss Sphaerophorus globosus A Coral Lichen Usnea filipendula Fishbone Beard Lichen The colour of upper (and if visible the lo wer) surface can be very variable between wet and dry states. In this guide, the descriptions are for dry lichens unless otherwise noted. Growth form of the thallus (the main body of the lichen) Leafy (foliose): thallus consists of leafy lobes. Lobes may be loosely attached or adpressed Fruits on Hypogymnia physodes (closely pressed) to the substrate. Squamulose: thallus consists of tiny lobes or leaf-like scales (squamules). The squamules may overlap like roof shingles and are not always obvious (they can appear crustose to the naked eye). LICHENS OF SCOTTISH Shrubby (fruticose): thallus often tufted; composed of narrow cylindrical, or flattened strap- shaped branches. PINEWOODS Crustose: thallus is a crust that may be thin, thick, smooth, wrinkled, powdery, granular or cracked like dried mud. Crustose species are adpressed (closely pressed) to the substrate. Some species have concentric growth rings at the margin. Guide 1: Leafy and shrubby lichens on pine, birch, Isidia on Pseudevernia furfuracea Features that may be present on the upper surface alder and deadwood Fruits: sexual reproductive structures that produce spores. They can be round discs, pimple-like or globular. They can be brownish, pinkish, orange-brown or black, and may have a margin that is the same colour as the thallus (a thalline margin). Isidia: tiny thallus projections (x10) that are involved in vegetative reproduction. They may be nodular, granular, finger-like, or branched like tiny fragments of coral (coralloid). Eroded or Short pale green tufts of narrow, flattened branches with discrete Short yellow-green tufts of flattened branches with f orked tips and Irregularly branched, pale greyish/brownish cylindrical stems, though Elongated green tufts (to c. 30cm) like fish bones hanging from granular isidia can be mistaken for granular soredia. oval soralia. Col: pale yellow-green to pale grey-green. Sored: irregular soralia; often with a network of ridges. Col: pale yellow- these can be grazed (e .g. by deer) to form neat dense cushions. branches/trunks due to distinctive branching pattern. Col: grey- discrete oval soralia along branch margins. Fr: rare. Lower: same green to pale grey-green. Sored: at first round, on ridges and lobe Col: pale grey to pale green-grey, main branches often orange- green to yellow-green. Isid/sored: isidia develop on soredia or Pseudocyphellae: pores or cracks that expose the interior of the thallus and so a ppear as paler colour as upper. Note: Ramalina species are generally more margins; later irregular, spreading and coalescing. Fr: very rare. brown. Isid/sored: none. Fr: occasional; globular swellings at on warts, mostly on the main stem (x 10). Fr: very rare. Similar spots or lines. Pseudocyphellae on the upper surface ma y develop soredia. Soredia on Hypogymnia physodes abundant on nutrient rich bark, especially on branches/twigs, but R. Lower: whitish, occasionally with green patches. Note: a branch tips burst to reveal a dark powder of spores. Similar to: to: short forms can be mistaken for other Usnea species. Note: Soredia: floury powder or coarse granules (like caster sugar, x10) that are involved in vegetative farinacea is the most common species on tr ees with acidic bark. common species on a range of deciduous tr ees. Similar to: The AWI species Bunodophoron melanocarpum can occur on old mainly on pine and birch. reproduction. They often occur along ridges or cracks on the surface , or on thallus margins, and Similar to: short-tufted types of Usnea species (Beard lichens, Ramalina farinacea (narrower lobes; upper and lower surfaces the pine, birch and alder in western pinewoods; it has more flattened may be diffuse or arise in discr ete structures (soralia). which have cylindrical branches). Also see Evernia prunastri. same colour). stems than S. globosus (see The Lichens of Atlantic Woodlands: Guide 2). Features that may be present on the lower surface Rhizines: root-like structures that can be thick and fluffy, thin and wiry, pale or dark. Under a Usnea subfloridana Beard Lichen Usnea hirta Shaggy Beard Lichen Alectoria sarmentosa Witch’s Hair Bryoria fuscescens Horsehair Lichen hand lens (x10) they can appear simple, forked or branched. Abbreviations for features that are used in the species descriptions AWI = Ancient Woodland Indicator species, NS = Nationally Scarce, Col = colour, Isid = isidia, Sored = soredia, Fr = fruit, Lower = lower surface. Marginal soredia on Further information Tuckermanopsis chlorophylla Books basal holdfast Lichens: An Illustrated Guide to the Br itish and Irish Species. Frank Dobson. 5th Edition (2005). Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd. This is the best identification guide to most of the common lichens of a range of habitats. Lichens. Oliver Gilbert (2000). Collins New Naturalist series. Harper Collins, London. This is a highly readable account of lichen ecolog y and habitats in Britain including a g ood chapter on woodland lichens. Lichens of Atlantic Woodlands Guides: 1 and 2. Plantlife Scotland (2008). Two water resistant fold-out field guides to lichens in Atlantic woodlands. The Montane Heathland Lichen Guide. Andrea Britton (2008). Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen. A useful field booklet that includes a number of the lichens that are commonly found on the forest floor in pinewoods. Rhizines on Hypotrachyna laevigata Information and advice www.bls.org.uk The British Lichen Society (BLS) has inf ormation on lichens, publications, courses and web links. www.nwdg.org.uk The Native Woodland Discussion Group (NWDG) runs courses on Shrubby green tufts of narrow, cylindrical branches with basal Shrubby grey-green, often densely shaggy tufts with numerous long woodland lichens. attachment point distinctly blackened. Col: pale green to grey-green. spine-like isidia and a pale basal attachment point. Col: grey-green. www.britishlichens.co.uk The britishlichens website has useful photos of many British species. Isid/sored: small rounded soralia that often develop tiny isidia (just Isid: numerous long spine-like isidia. Fr: occasionally present, AWI NS Elongated pale yellow-green tufts of very narrow, hair-like Elongated green-brown tufts of very narrow, hair-like branches visible x10). Fr: occasionally present, rounded pale greenish with rounded pale greenish with distinctive long marginal spines. branches with elongate pseudocyphellae (x10). Col: pale yellow- with discrete soralia. Col: greenish brown, brown to dark brown. Advice and support distinctive long marginal spines. Lower: not applicable. Similar to: Lower: not applicable. Similar to: U. subfloridana (soralia, distinctly green, to creamy yellow. Isid/sored: absent. Fr: rare. Similar to: Sored: discrete oval soralia along branches. Fr: very rare. British Lichen Society Plantlife Scotland can help you in your quest for information and support. short-tufted types of Strap lichens Ramalina species or Evernia prunastri blackened base). Also Ramalina species, Evernia prunastri and other when hanging from branches easily mistaken for Usnea filipendula. U. Similar to: other Bryoria species but B. fuscescens is by far the Plantlife Scotland, Balallan House, Allan Park, Stirling FK8 2QG (all have flattened, strap-shaped branches). Also see Usnea hirta Usnea species (refer to U. subfloridana description). Notes: very filipendula has isidia and if you gently pull the strands lengthwise they commonest. Tel: +44 (0)1786 478509 www.plantlife.org.uk [email protected] Notes: the commonest shrubby Usnea species with a blackened base limp when wet. Very common on birch and pine in eastern are stretchy due to a spring y central strand (like knicker-elastic); © November 2009 ISBN 978-1-907141-10-2 This guide has been written and illustra ted Plantlife Scotland is part of Plantlife International – the Wild Plant Conservation charity, a charitable company limited by for Plantlife Scotland by Andy Acton. All occurring in pinewoods and drier birchwoods, and the only Usnea pinewoods. Scarce in the west. Alectoria has no such springy central strand. Note: on pine, birch guarantee. Registered charity no SC038951. Registered company no 3166339, registered in England. photos © Acton/Griffith 2009 likely to be found fertile in Scottish pinewoods. and alder in old pinewoods. 24138_Lichen_Scot_24138_Lichen_Scot 14/12/2009 14:28 Page 2 Introduction 1 MEDIUM TO LARGE LEAFY LICHENS 2 TINY LEAFY LICHENS This Plantlife field guide is for anyone interested in lichens and brown filamentous lichens that look like hair. It can be identifying some of the more conspicuous lichens found in very similar to the Parmelion community but in the Physodion Scottish native pinewoods. It looks at leafy and shrub by community the brownish Hair lichens (Bryoria species) are generally lichens that grow on trees with very acidic bark and on dead much more common. wood. A companion guide (Lichens of Scottish pine woods: Hypogymnia physodes Heather Rags Hypotrachyna laevigata Smooth Loop Lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea Tree Moss Platismatia norvegica Old Growth Rag Lichen Imshaugia aleurites Spiky Starburst Lichen Parmeliopsis hyperopta Grey Starburst Lichen Guide 2) looks at scaly and crustose lichens found in these The Lobarion: The Lobarion can occur on mildly acidic bark but habitats and at lichens found on trees and shrubs with less this community is scarce in eastern pinewoods. It is mainly acidic bark such as rowan. associated with old rowan and rain seepage tracks below damaged bark of old birch but, if present, other tree and shrub species such as What are Scottish pinewoods? hazel, aspen, willow or old oak can be impor tant.