ASCOMYCOTA | ARTHONIOMYCETES > ARTHONIALES > Arthoniaceae

Genus, formerly Arthonia, meaning 'to sprinkle' referring to the scattered apothecia, but now Coniocarpon, which is an old genus resurrected to include three species with different chemistry.

Common name:            -

Synonym:                     Arthonia elegans

Habitat:                          Woodland

Substrata:                     Bark

Growth form:                Corticolous

Thallus:                 Crustose

Apothecia:                    Lirellate

BLS identity rating:        Graded 2/5 (visually identifiable, although microscopic examination recommended)

Thallus pale fawn to yellowish, grey-brown, slightly glossy to matt, often limited with an orange-brown prothallus particularly when in contact with other lichens; lirellae only weakly elongate to about 1.5mm, simple or branched, scattered or forming stellate aggregations of 3-15 ascomata, discs dark purple-brown to black, flat to weakly convex, sometimes with a thin layer of white pruina, margins reddish pruinose, level with the disc.

Locally common, especially in the west, occurring on shaded, mainly smooth-barked trees, normally Hazel (Corylus).

The following example is considered to be this species, but cannot be confirmed.