Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology

Thanks, Vanna and @ians4ad.bsky.social. Yes, @scottishecologist.bsky.social: that's Ophioparma ventosa. Nice one!

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Catillaria lenticularis (with invasive cyanobacteria) : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3389 : February 2026 : On limestone chest-tomb

Invasive cyanobacteria (in Catillaria lenticularis) : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3389 : February 2026 : On limestone chest-tomb

2/2 …~24 species at Emmanuel vs ~36 at St Edmund's. Fortunately, some heavy chest-tombs remained in place to host remaining flora. On limestone lid of one tomb was this interesting Catillaria lenticularis growing in damp conditions, blackened by invasive #cyanobacteria thriving on excess moisture.

1/2 Recently surveyed Emmanuel Church, Bungay, for #lichens. Same mid-Victorian age as St Edmund's nearby (see below), with churchyard of about same size. But Emmanuel headstones moved aside to create garden. Now mainly shaded and algae-covered. Eliminated up to 1/3 of lichen biodiversity! Only…

New lichen record for me at the weekend from a Mid Suffolk woodland. The below is Phaeographis smithii. Unlike P. dendritica, smithii lacks the dark tissue below the hymenium. (1/3) @britishlichensociety.org.uk @suffolk-nats1929.bsky.social @aspenecology.com @suffolkbis.bsky.social #lichens

Many thanks, Mel! It was a real pleasure to introduce you and others to the hidden #lichen world! @theroyalparks.bsky.social

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Lovely to be back in Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park, this time training two groups of @theroyalparks.bsky.social volunteers how to recognise and understand #lichens, and how to share their new enthusiasm about them with the public! Leading some public lichen walks here soon too (see below). Join us!

No: beavers extinct in England in 1300s, in Scotland in 1500s. First reintroductions in 2009 in Scotland, about decade later in England. Excellent in many ways! Problematic in others: our depleted forests can't always cope with beavers. There's some danger to habitat/other species, esp in Scotland.

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Returning to Trapelia glebulosa sens str below: it's easily confused with similar #lichens. But it's identifiable by its C+ red reaction, relatively large spores (differentiating from Trapeliopsis species), and relatively small areoles and abundant apothecia (differentiating from Trapelia involuta).

Apologies, but you misunderstand. This river, like virtually all rivers in the UK, has been used by people for many centuries. As mentioned, it's in poor condition. Bathing-water designation obligates Government to conduct official pollution monitoring that can be used to hold polluters to account.

It’s indeed lovely! But it’s not a nature reserve. It’s a public common owned and cared for by a community trust with environmental and recreational objectives. See my reply to above about the environmental benefit of official bathing-water designation in the UK.

Quite the opposite. UK rivers are generally in poor condition. Official bathing status obligates Environment Agency to monitor water for faecal matter (in Waveney, mainly from agricultural runoff and sewage overflows). Data is used to hold polluters to account vis-a-vis public right to clean water.

The confusion species for H horrescens (also in North Wales) are H minarum and P crinitum. Former lacks cilia sprouting from its lobes in association with its isidia, and has C+ red medulla; latter has K+ yellow medulla. H horrescens medulla is K- C- (though K+ yellow cortex so test carefully!)

Yes: gives the impression of Hypotrachyna horrescens. Impressive! Britain has notable chunk of global population of this #lichen, and much of that is in North Wales, so we have special conservation responsibility for it. Sadly it's near-threatened here, though! Officially protected species in Wales.

The 13 swimming spots that could become designated for dipping The government says the plans would increase the number of England's official bathing sites to 464.

Tagging into post above ⬆️ @robyaxley.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social @suffolk-nats1929.bsky.social @britishlichensociety.org.uk #lichenGBI. Congratulations also to the River Waveney Trust, and fingers crossed the wild-bathing designation will be granted! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Looking upstream along River Waveney at Falcon Meadow near Bungay on summer's day.

Lecania cyrtella : England : VC27 East Norfolk : TM3389 : January 2026 : On Salix trunk

Lecania naegelii : England : VC27 East Norfolk : TM3389 : January 2026 : On Salix trunk

Trapelia glebulosa sens. str. : England : VC27 East Norfolk : TM3489 : January 2026 : On wooden gatepost

Serene Falcon Meadow on River Waveney at Bungay just shortlisted by Gov't for official wild-bathing designation! Otters, kingfishers and… #lichens! Recently spotted: Lecania cyrtella, L naegelii, Trapelia glebulosa sens str. All firsts for wider area. Likely common but not well-recorded in E Anglia.

Only in a basic way for identification in the field or under the microscope. I don’t have the equipment for thin-layer chromatography, and the rest is serious biochemical research.

I'm no mycologist, and I certainly know nothing of Australian fungi, so happy to defer!

I shouldn't think so, and in any case they're tiny: maybe 1 cm or so at the tallest.

Nice photos! I suspect that a few of your little white mushrooms aren't 'true' mushrooms, but 'cup' or 'sac' fungi (like my C acicularis). I also think that some might not be fungi at all, but rather slime moulds or perhaps even insect eggs! Tiny worlds can indeed be confusing places as you say.

Myxogastria : England : VC40 Shropshire : SJ4620 : November 2025 : On Quercus twig

Myxogastria : England : VC40 Shropshire : SJ4620 : November 2025 : On Quercus twig

Thank you! I did see this slime mould in the same wood, though I don't have an identification for it.

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Oak-pin : Cudoniella acicularis : England : VC40 Shropshire : SJ4620 : November 2025 : On Quercus stump

Tiny, delicate oak-pin #fungus (Cudoniella acicularis). Not true mushroom despite shape! Produces spores in asci or 'sacs' within 'pinhead', not from gills under 'umbrella'. Widespread in Britain but not common (or maybe just underrecorded). This one on rotting oak stump in Old Wood LWS, Shropshire.

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New #lichen factsheet and galleries! Rhizocarpon geographicum, aka 'map lichen'. Eye-catching with its vivid green-yellow colour, but common on stone mainly in north and west Britain. Rare sight in my home county of Suffolk, and indeed in southeast England generally. aspenecology.com/rhizocarpon-...

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Buellia griseovirens (lichen) & Trentepohlia (alga) : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3489 : January 2026 : On wooden footbridge parapet

#Lichens are partnerships of #fungi and #algae (mostly), but partners sometimes compete. Here Buellia griseovirens (lichen) and Trentepohlia (free-living alga) compete for space, light, water. In principle there's room, but lines of antagonistic contact have already formed. Bungay, Suffolk, England.

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