Lichens

Species List for The Woodland Education Centre, Offwell
Recorded by Barbara Benfield, Devon Lichen Recorder

Find out about lichens      Interactive map of the Centre

Thelotrema lepadinum, an indicator of old woodland. A closer look at the patch of Thelotrema lepadina Close-up of Thelotrema lepadina, showing the barnacle-like surface.
The species list records 107 different species of lichens which have been observed growing at the Woodland Education Centre in Offwell, near Honiton, Devon, England. It is not a complete species list, but represents the number of species found in two days of searching, one day in 1998 and another in 2006. Forty seven species were recorded in both surveys; thirty seven species were found only in 1998; twenty three species only in 2006. These differences are not necessarily indicative of major changes in habitat. They may simply be as a result of the surveys having looked in slightly different areas of the Centre. The list includes seven species which are indicative of old woodland sites.

There are likely to be many more lichens as yet unrecorded at the Centre due to the great variety of restored habitats within the Centre. These include several different types of woodland, wetlands and emergent heath. Many lichens are very small and unobtrusive, requiring a hand lens for observation. A single mature oak tree may provide a substrate for up to 30 different species of lichen. Therefore omitting a single tree could make a significant difference to the number of species recorded.

Genus Species 1998 2006          Remarks
Acrocordia gemmata

  X

Mature hardwoods
Anisomeridium nyssaginium= polypori X On elder in damp places
Arthonia cinnabarina X On hazel in damp sheltered situations
didyma X X On sheltered hazel and oak
elegans X X On hazel  
radiata X Common on branches of many trees and shrubs
spadicea X X On shaded bark in damp woods
vinosa X Confined to old woodlands. 
On oak on a bank to the north of the entrance gate
Bacidia biatorina X On mature trees.  Mainly oak in established woodlands
viridifarinosa X On shaded bark of deciduous trees
Baeomyces rufus X X On acid soil beside the track.  Common
Buellia  griseovirens X Occasional on branches
Candelariella reflexa X Frequent
vitellina X Common  
Chrysothrix candalaris X
flavovirens X
Cladonia chlorophaea X X A common lichen.  Plentiful by the leat
coniocrea X X Common on banks and at the base of trees.  On humus.
digitata X Occasional.  Beside the leat.
macilenta X X Common on banks  
polydactyla X X Common by the leat
portentosa X Common on acid heaths in Devon but rare at Offwell
pyxidaca X
ramulosa X Common by the leat
squamosa X X Occasional by the leat
subulata X X By the leat.  Occasional in Devon.
Cliostomum griffithii X Common.
Collema tenax var. ceranoides X
Dimerella lutea X X In humid established woods.  On oak on a bank near the entrance gate.
pineti X
Enterographa crassa X X Common on shaded bark.
Evernia prunastri X X Common.
Fuscidea lightfootii X
Graphina ruizana X Occasional on coppiced trees.
Graphis elegans X X Frequent in woods.
scripta X X Common.
Gyalidiopsis  anastomosans X X Often on gorse.  On a tree stump at Offwell.
Hypocenomyce scalaris X An acid loving lichen.  Generally on pine or lignum, but on Rhododendron at Offwell.
Hypogymnia physodes X
Lecanactis abietina X X On the dry sides of old trees.
Lecanora barkmaniana X
chlarotera X X Common.
confusa X Common on branches.  
dispersa X Common on twigs,
expallens X X Common.
jamesii X
Lecidella elaeochroma X X Common.
Lepraria incana X X Common.  On a conifer at Offwell.
lobificans X X Frequent on hardwoods.
sp. X
Lucidea doliiformis X Nationally scarce species, on pine.
Micarea bauschiana X On Rhododendron at Offwell.  Generally on stones and roots in banks.
lignaria X On tree stumps and dead logs.
peliocarpa X
prasina X X Common on acid bark and dead stumps.
Mycoblastis caesius X
sterilis = fucatus X X On acid bark, especially birch.
Normandina pulchella X X On mossy trees.
Opegrapha atra X Common.
corticola X Frequent on oak and chestnut.
soridiata X
vulgata X X Frequent
Pachyphiale carneola X Old woodland.
Parmelia caperata X X Common.
confusa X
fuliginosa glab. X
perlata X X Common.
reddenda X An occasional lichen.  Not common at Offwell.
revoluta X X Common.  (Fertile in 2006)
saxatilis X X Common on acid bark.  (Fertile in 2006)
subaurifera X Common.
subrudecta X X Common.
sulcata X
Peltigera lactucifolia X Frequent in damp undisturbed places.  Only on willows at Offwell.
Pertusaria albescens X Not common at Offwell.
amara X X Common.
hemisphaerica X Frequent.
hymenia X X Common.
leioplaca X Occasional on smooth bark.
pertusa X X Common.
Pheaographis dendritica X X Common in woods.
lyellii X X Uncommon.  An old woodland lichen.
Phlyctis argena X X Common.
Physcia tenella X X Common on nutrient enriched twigs.
Platismatia glauca X X An acid bark lichen.   Not common at Offwell.
Porina aenea X
leptalea X X An uncommon lichen of trees in boggy sites.  At Offwell it is growing on willow by the stream near the Cabin.
Pyrrhospora quernia X On old beech.
Ramalina farinacea X
quercicola X
Schismatomma cretaceum X In an underhang of an old chestnut.
declorans X Common on the dry sides of old trees.
quercicola X Old woodland.
Scoliciosporum pruinatum X
Stenocybe septata X A lichen specific to old holly.
Thelotrema lepadinum X X An old woodland species.  Common at Offwell.
Trapelia coarctata X On stones in the track.
Trapeliopsis flexuosa X X Common on lignum and posts.
granulosa X X On soil and stumps.  Common.
pseudogranulosa X X On soil of banks and stumps.
Usnea articulata X X A south-western clean air lichen.  Occasional at Offwell.
ceratina X X A clean air lichen.  Occasional at Offwell.
cornuta X X Common.
florida X A rapidly declining lichen.  Occasional at Offwell.
rubicunda X Occasional.   
Verrucaria hydrela X On stones in the stream.
Xanthoria parietina X Rare at Offwell. Very common on trees in farmland.
84 69

Species in bold are indicators of old woodlands.

These surveys were conducted on behalf of
Offwell Environment Link

Many lichens require a hand lens (shown here a X10) for proper observation. A leafy or foliose lichen. Usnia, a fruticose or shrubby lichen.

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Lichens