Petersfield Area Lichen Enthusiasts

Petersfield Area Lichen Enthusiasts (PALE) has been set up by two ‘not quite beginners’ who are both members of the British Lichen Society. PALE is a self-learning group which aims to encourage local interest in lichen and actively welcomes complete beginners.

Petersfield is situated at the edge of the South Downs in the south east corner of VC12 (North Hampshire) and the north east corner of VC 11 (South Hampshire). It is very close to West Sussex (VC 13) and the west of Surrey (VC 17).

FSC Course: Identifying lichens

Event Type
Training events
Start date
End date
External link
https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/courses/identifying-lichens-oct22/
Event Description:

This beginner lichens course will consist of a blend of field and classroom sessions to provide you with a general introduction to lichens as a group, focusing on morphology, biology, ecology and chemistry, alongside identification and recording.

Tutor: April Windle

Price: £140.00

BLS Surrey Field Meeting in memory of Frank Dobson

Event Type
Local Meetings
Start date
End date
Event Description:

As part of a month of activities to celebrate the contributions of Frank Dobson, this is a special one-day commemorative field meeting in Surrey where Frank did so much lichen recording.  Please ‘book’ by emailing Andy Cross (andymcross@gmail.com) see below.

BLS members are invited to explore lichens in and around Hampton Park with kind permission of the owner. The old trees in the open park areas and on ancient boundaries within the park are of especial interest. There will also be an opportunity to visit nearby Puttenham Common which has young woodland and a small amount of acid grassland. Permission is also being sought to look at lichens in Seale Churchyard. These sites provide a wide and interesting mosaic of habitats to explore. The meeting will be an excellent way for everyone, from expert to beginner, to celebrate Frank’s life by contributing valuable records and by learning from others.

The meeting will be based at Myrtle Court in the grounds of Hampton Park. 

The Hampton Park estate is south of the A31 Farnham-Guildford Road. If coming from Guildford on the A31, take the turning to Puttenham, if coming from Farnham, take the turning to Seale. The estate is north of Lower Puttenham Common and its entrance is on the road from The Sands to Shackleford at SU907456.

Use the postcode GU10 1JH for satellite navigation. Drive past 'The Warren' and follow signs to Myrtle Court (at SU904461). The car-park is behind the building.

Pick up can be arranged from Guildford Rail Station at 10.00. With return to the station by 16.30. Please book a lift when booking to attend the event (see bottom of page). Absolute deadline for booking of transport: 17th August.

Programme:

10.30

Begin gathering at Myrtle Court with time to meet old friends and introduce yourself to new ones.

11.00

Short talks inc. A brief introduction to the history and ecology of Hampton Park.

11.30

Split into groups to go out into the field.

There will be experienced BLS members available to lead groups who would prefer to concentrate on more common lichens.

15.00

Return to Myrtle court to talk about lichens seen, and for tea, cake, chat and a sales stall.

16.00

End of event and lifts to the station.

A sales stall will be open from 15.00 to 16.00 including an opportunity to buy Clare Dolby posters with no postage costs. If any BLS member is running talks or walks for the public later in August or later in the year, there will also be an opportunity to pick up resources. (Please email Fay Newbery at vice-president@britishlichensociety.org.uk to find out what is available and what might suit your event. Only booked resources will be brought to Hampton Park.)

To help us to judge numbers (and to supply enough cake!) please ‘book’ by letting Andy Cross (andymcross@gmail.com) know that you are intending to come. If you would like to bring a non-BLS member as a guest, please request this via Andy, as numbers may need to be limited if this proves to be a very popular event – which we hope it will!

Survey Meeting Reports

Introduction

In contrast to normal meetings, which aim to cover a wide range of habitats and sites, survey meetings are more intensive and directed towards a conservation target. The target is typically assessing the conservation importance of a single under surveyed site, thought to be of high conservation interest, but can also include surveying a rare species or a species assemblage. In addition to a Bulletin article, a full survey report is produced and these can be downloaded below. The first survey meeting was held at Moccus Park in 2018.

Exciting New Discoveries in a Welsh Rainforest

Andy Cross below a Hazel with Pyrenula dermatodes & Pyrenula hibernica

Two BLS members, Neil Sanderson and Andy Cross, carrying out a monitoring survey, funded by Welsh Natural Resources, in one of the most important Welsh temperate rainforests have made some very significant discoveries. The site was the deep and difficult to access ravine of Ceunant Llennyrch, a National Nature Reserve owned by Welsh Natural Resources and the Woodland Trust. This was already known to be an exceptional site, especially for the occurrence of temperate rainforest specialist species of smooth bark on older shrubs.

Coenogonium nimisii

Taxon

Coenogonium nimisii

Authority
Malíček & Sanderson (2023)
Synonyms
Coenogonium confusum in ed.
Conservation Status
NE NS (Key)
BLS Number
2787
Taxon Photo
Coenogonium nimisii, James Hill, New Forest
Coenogonium nimisii, Savernake Forest, Wiltshire
Coenogonium nimisii, Mallard Wood, New Forest
Coenogonium nimisii, Reshoot Wood, New Forest
Coenogonium nimisii, Reshoot Wood, New Forest
Coenogonium nimisii, Stubbs Wood, New Forest
Coenogonium nimisii, Stubbs Wood, New Forest
Coenogonium nimisii Stubbs Wood, New Forest
Porina hibernica, Porina coralloidea, Coenogonium nimisii, New Forest
General Description

This lichen has a remarkably close resemblance, at least when sterile, to the unrelated lichen Porina rosei, within which it was subsumed until its existence was revealed by sequencing. When fertile these species are very different; Coenogonium nimisii, with bight yellow disks similar to Coenogonium luteum and Porina rosei with dull orange perithecia part immersed in the thallus. Sterile, both have green to orange coralloid isidia which cluster into mounds of congested branches and grow in flushed base rich bark on veteran trees and sometimes on rock in humid habitats.

The isidia Porina rosei are more tightly packed, have a mat surface, are narrower (15–27 μm), have a loose clear cortex, with irregularly rounded sometimes slightly projecting cells, and usually containing only a single filament of the photobiont. In contrast those of of Coenogonium nimisii are are less crowded, have a shiny, not matt, surface, are wider (20 – 55 μm diam.), have a compact and smooth clear cortex, several cells thick, and with up to four algal strands. Both species have also been confused with P. hibernica but this is distinct in its short, wide and uniformly dull orange isidia.

Coenogonium nimisii is a widespread but local species of base rich bark on veteran tree in old woodlands in the west and south.

Identification

Thallus superficial, grey green to whitish, supporting abundant coralloid isidia, usually green, grading to pale ochre-orange where well lit, with a glossy surface, forming dense mounds away from the apothecia, more discrete near apothecia, 20–50 μm diam., with frequent constrictions and branching, with a compact clear cortex several cells thick surrounding up to four algal filaments. Apothecia 0.5–1.5 mm diam., sessile on the thallus (not when on isidia), distinctly constricted at the base, disc yellow-orange with pale creamy-yellow, often flexuose margins; hymenium 80–110 μm tall; paraphyses ca 1.5 μm diam., the apical cells to 4 μm diam. Ascus without an amyloid ring around the pore. Ascospores 9–11 × 2.5–3.0 μm. Pycnidia present but no data available.

Very rarely fertile and long overlooked as the similar looking but much rarer Porina rosei. True P. rosei is also often sterile, but is darker orange with matt, softer-looking isidial mounds with narrower isidia, up to 27 μm diam., and a thinner clear cortex of a single layer of irregular rounded cells surrounding a single algal filament. C. nimisii is very similar to the New Zealand species C. fruticulosum (Ludwig 2014), except based on limited fertile material available, the hymenium is taller and the isidia appear more densely packed in the European species. It does not resemble any of the other varied tropical and austral isidiate Coenogonium species; see Aptroot & Cáceres (2018).

Enterographa brezhonega is occasionally parasitic on C. nimisii and rarely on C. luteum, and could be easily mistaken as myxomycete fruit-bodies or blobs of Lepraria; however, if looked at closely the convoluted white lirellae are highly distinctive.

Habitats

On a wide range of veteran tree species with base-rich bark as well as on mossy rocks, in ancient woodland. Typically found in sheltered humid locations in old growth woodlands. 

Distribution Map
Coenogonium nimisii 10km distribution map
Coenogonium nimisii 10km distribution map
Key to map date classes
Distribution

Widespread but local. S.W. England, Wales, S.W. Highlands, Ireland. 

Threats & Status

Not assessed, the dominance of Coenogonium nimisii in the aggregate records of Porina rosei and C. nimisii combined under Porina rosei previously, however, means the Near Threatened status applied to the name P. rosei in the 2012 assessment should probably be inherited by C. nimisii not P. rosei. The main threat to this species is increasing shade with woodlands due to removal or declines in woodland grazing with pasture woodland habitats.

Britain: Near Threatened, International Responsibility Species

References

Aptroot, A, & Cáceres, M. E. S. (2018) Coenogonium upretianum (Ascomycota: Coenogoniaceae), a new corticolous lichen species from Brazil. Cryptogam Biodiversity and Assessment. 2456-0251: 11-13.

Cannon, P., Malíček, J., Sanderson, N., Benfield, B., Coppins, B. & Simkin, J. (2021). Ostropales: Coenogoniaceae, including the genus Coenogonium. Revisions of British and Irish Lichens 3: 1-4.

Ludwig, L. R. (2014) Coenogonium fruticulosum, a new isidiate species from New Zealand. Australasian Lichenology 75: 18-27.

Text by N A Sanderson, based Cannon et al (2021).

Lichenicolous Fungi
Enterographa brezhonega Sparrius & Aptroot (2007)

Heathland and moorland management

Page in draft

Introduction

Heathlands and moorlands can support rich and varied lichen assemblages, some very visually attractive. This diversity, however, is highly dependant on combinations of grazing, burning and disturbance at differing intensities interacting with the natural characteristics of the soils. In many areas, particularly in the lowlands, however, these lichen assemblages are declining and under threat.  

Woodland management

Information Note: Management of Lichen Rich Woodland in Britain and Ireland.

Habitat and Management

In general terms the habitat requirements of lichen assemblages in lichen rich woodlands are similar in all types of British and Irish woodlands. Responses of individual species greatly differ and even the same species can respond differently in distant areas.

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