Lichen: Anaptychia runcinata
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Anaptychia ciliaris Körb. ex A.Massal.
Anaptychia ciliaris ssp. mamillata (Taylor) D.Hawskw.& P.James
Name: Anaptychia runcinata (With.) J.R.Laundon
Pronunciation: Anaptychia runcinata
Conservation Evaluation: Least Concern
Typical growth pattern. Note the dark apothecia discs. Photo: Loop Head 2008.
Body Type: Foliose
Description: The thallus is bulky, tightly adpressed and characteristically radiating, spreading out from a centre. It has a slightly convex appearance, although frequently flat and the lobes may widen towards the apices. Colour varies from dark brown when dry to dark olive green when wet. Sometimes the lobe tips are white. The undersurface is dark and contain rhizines. Apothecia are frequent with a diameter of 1 – 3mm. The disk is brown to black and the slightly crenulate margin the same colour as the thallus.
Chemical Tests: C+ watery yellow. K-.
Anaptychia runcinata turns green when wet. Photographed at Kilkee, 2008.
Nature Notes: Found along the coast, especially on hard silica rich rocks. May be found inland on both rocks (old ruins) and trees. It also appears on turf in undisturbed bogs or on dead Sea Thrift, but this is unusual.
Vice County Distribution for Anaptychia runcinata:
Close up of Anaptychia runcinata showing the black discs of the apothecia and the convex thallus.
See map.
Close up photo of the thallus. © Paul Whelan.
Vice-county distribution map
Link: Map this species on the Lichen Survey
Other species recorded in Ireland
Text & Images © Paul Whelan, 2009