Lichen (Lecanora conizaeoides)

This is a lichen we will all have seen but only those with a particular interest will have taken any notice of or given any thought to! Not only is it totally nsignificant to look at it has a very difficult name to say, let alone remember, it is Lecanora conizaeoides.

This does not look like anything other than some boring crusty skin but it is a lichen and is probably our most common lichen at that. Found on tree bark, it is probably most notable on oak trees and there can hardly be an oak tree in Dorset that does not bear some of this lichen on it somewhere. Iy does also occur on walls, racks and even soil.

This was once a very rare species but during the course of the twentieth century it became one of the most common as it is totally impervious to sulphur dioxide and so thrives in polluted areas where it has replaced other lichen that have dwindled.

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Find out more about the nature of Dorset at my website www.natureofdorset.co.uk

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