Lichen: Pertusaria pseudocorallina
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Name: Pertusaria pseudocorallina (Lilj.) Arnold (1887)
Pertusaria pseudocoralina showing fertile warts; 2 - 7 apothecia per wart.
Pronunciation: Pertusaria pseudocorallina
Conservation Evaluation: Least Concern
Body Type: Crustose
K positive red
Description: The thick or thin thallus is a creamy white colour; generally it is wrinkled and uneven. A distinguishing feature is the tiny peg-like isidia which are generally scattered across the thallus, but are characteristically found in clusters. The isidia look like miniature golf tees.
The peg-like isidia
The tops are reddish brown in colour giving them the appearance of growths of coral. Isidia may fall out leaving tiny craters. If the thallus has a wart-like appearance the warts may be fertile and contain apothecia; between 2 to 7 apothecia per wart. The apothecia disc is small giving them a perithecia-like appearance.
VC Map Pertusaria pseudocorallina
Chemical Tests: K+ blood red, C-, KC+ yellow-red, Pd+ yellow-red, UV-.
Nature Notes: Found in coastal or upland areas in dry and well lit areas on silica rich rocks.
Vice county distribution map: See Map
Link: Map this species on the Lichen Survey
Other species recorded in Ireland:
- Pertusaria albescens (Huds.) M.Choisy & Werner
- Pertusaria albescens var. albescens
- Pertusaria albescens var. corallina (Zahlbr.) J.R.Laundon
- Pertusaria amara (Ach.) Nyl.
- Pertusaria amara forma pulvinata (Erichsen) Almb.
- Pertusaria amarescens Nyl.
- Pertusaria aspergilla (Ach.) J.R.Laundon
- Pertusaria chiodectonoides Bagl. ex A.Massal.
- Pertusaria coccodes (Ach.) Nyl.
- Pertusaria corallina (L.) Arnold
- Pertusaria excludens Nyl.
- Pertusaria flavicans Lamy
- Pertusaria flavida (DC.) J.R.Laundon
- Pertusaria hemisphaerica (Flörke) Erichsen
- Pertusaria hymenea (Ach.) Schaer.
- Pertusaria lactea (L.) Arnold
- Pertusaria lactescens Mudd
- Pertusaria leioplaca DC.
- Pertusaria melanochlora (DC.) Nyl.
- Pertusaria monogona Nyl.
- Pertusaria multipuncta (Turner) Nyl.
- Pertusaria ophthalmiza (Nyl.) Nyl.
- Pertusaria pertusa (Weigel) Tuck.
- Pertusaria polythecia (Taylor) Erichsen
- Pertusaria pupillaris (Nyl.) Th.Fr.
- Pertusaria pustulata (Ach.) Duby
- Pertusaria velata (Turner) Nyl.
Text and images © Paul Whelan, 2009.