The Physcia is the teeny weeny grey foliose lichen covering the trunk in the bottom two thirds of the picture on the left. (The large grey foliose lichen is a Parmelia (saxatile or sulcata) - I'll write about that another day)
You are probably more likely to find Physcia on a tree in Settle than any other species of lichen. If you can see a big yellow Xanthoria have a look nearby for Physcia. Tenella means delicate.
Learn your Lichens Series
1. Arthonia radiata
1. Arthonia radiata
6. Lecanora gangaleoides
7. Physcia tenella
7. Physcia tenella
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| The ruler on the left shows centimetres divided into millimetres. Look more closely.. |
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| This one is fruiting. You can see the black discs. |
This species of Physcia has cilia ("hair-like projections"), sometimes with black tips growing from the undersurface.
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| I photographed this through my hand-lens. See the cilia The thallus has gone pinkish because it is infected by a fungus |
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| The top picture is of Physcia tenella on this Mountain Ash at Langcliffe, but there are at least 12 other species of (mostly bigger) lichens on it too - a fantastic tree. ....and five mosses .... and two liverworts. |
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| I photographed the other pictures on the nearest tree here in Malham YDNP car park several years ago, ready for my Algae and Lichens of Malhamdale walk. |
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| The tips of the thallus are curled up at the top right of the picture and the under-surface of the tips are covered with powdery soredia. You can see the cilia clearly here. this picture was taken on an oak branch in Grinton churchyard |
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