ASCOMYCOTA | ARTHONIOMYCETES > ARTHONIALES > Lecanographaceae

Formally genus Opegrapha, meaning 'hidden writing' from the small lirellae, but now in Alyxoria with limited morphological differences other than Alyxoria species tend to have more open apothecia

Common Name:           -

Synonym:                     Opegrapha mougeotii

Habitat:                         Coastal (for this entry)

Substrata:                      Rock

Growth form:                Saxicolous

Thallus:                 Crustose

Apothecia:                    Lirellate

BLS identity rating:        Graded 3/5 (cannot be confirmed without microscopic examination)

Thallus very thin, often immersed, smooth to finely cracked; usually cream-white or buff, rarely pale green or ochraceous; lirellae typically from 1.5mm to 2.5mm long and between 0.2mm to 0.5mm wide, simple, straight or curved with rounded or pointed ends, black, initially with a slit disc that becomes exposed.

An uncommon local species only found on steep sheltered limestone, calcareous sandstone and occasionally on brick walls.

Species in this genus can only be reliably identified by microscopic examination of the spores, so the inclusion of the photo featured below has to be questionable. It looks likely, but there are a couple of Opegrapha species that are described as being similar although, visually, I cannot find one that looks right, or would be found in this type of coastal location.