The Lyons Share

It still seems easier at this time of year to dig out old records of species I have missed for my all-taxa list than it does to get out there and find new ones! I added another 10 lichens after a trip to Kingley Vale in 2009 and a trip to Eridge Rocks in 2010 with people who really know their stuff and found the records and photos on my old computer. This puts me on 3033 but I think that is it for the retrospective additions.

Here is the beautiful Bunodophoron melanocarpum at Eridge Rocks which might be the only site for it in East Sussex. I think is my favourite lichen, really coral like.

This one is the far commoner Evernia prunastri which I recognise from the sand dunes at Frensham Great Pond too, in fact I think I have seen a lot of this throughout my life. The literature states it has a wealth of uses by man, testament to how abundant it is. I struggle with lichens, I think I need to spend more time in the field with those that know them. As with bryophytes, and many fungi, I feel like I have reached almost as far as I can go without a high powered microscope. One thing I like about these two species though (as far as I can tell) is they are the only ones in their respective genera. These were taken with the Coolpix 4500.