ASCOMYCOTA | LICHINOMYCETES > LICHINALES > Lichinaceae

Common name:            Sea-weed Lichen

Synonym:                    -

Habitat:                         Coastal

Substrata:                     Rock

Growth form:                Saxicolous

Thallus:                  Fruiticose

Apothecia:                    Apical

BLS identity rating:        Graded 1/5 (identification should be straightforward)

Thallus shrubby, typically forming small, roughly circular patches about 3-10cm across, of dense cushions that stand no more than 5mm tall; usually sparse towards the centre, or broken and becoming somewhat horseshoe-shaped; otherwise, irregular and spreading, and/or joining to cover larger areas; tufts composed of tiny richly-branched lobes; dark brown to blackish; apothecia, brown, small and globose on the branch tips.

Lichina confinis grows on exposed rocks on well-lit shores, occurring in the mesic supralittoral zone just above the high-water mark; always higher up the shore than Lichina pygmaea which can be found on the littoral fringe often growing together with barnacles. Lichina confinis on the other hand is often found with Caloplaca marina. Although the two species can be almost certainly distinguished simply by taking into consideration where they are growing in relation to the mean tide level, Lichina pygmaea has thicker, flatter lobes that typically form larger, more dense patches that stand 10-15mm tall.