Lichens at The Yorkshire Arboretum September 2023

One of the hottest days in 2023 found myself and five participants  at the Yorkshire Arboretum "Discovering Lichens" 5 Sept 2023. this arboretum is next to Castle Howard

What did we discover?

We spent a pleasant morning session in the shade of the spacious new workroom with its big windows overlooking the grounds, learning the terminology for lichen structure. We looked at twigs I had brought in from near Settle.

Then a short walk to the nearest tree - a hawthorn. This  provided a wealth of specimens for beginners; (See classroom in the background)

Here is a list of English names of some of the lichensThe names I have made up have an asterisk as not all lichens have common names in Britain. I have taken the common names from the list provided by Ray Woods on the British Lichen society website). They are followed by their Latin Names:

1. Little Ciliated Lichen; 2. Golden Sunburst Lichen; 3. Ink Blot Lichen* 4. Abraded Camouflage Lichen   (or Brown Parmelia on Branches*), 5. Common Treetrunk Jam-tart Lichen,   6. Oak Moss   7. Mealy Ramalina (Or Dotted Ramalina) 8. Powdered Loop Lichen

1 Physcia tenella, 2 Xanthoria parietina,  3.Arthonia radiata, 4. Melanelixia subaurifera, 5. Lecanora chlaratera agg. (Now possible known as Lecanora hybocarpa)  6 Evernia prunastri, 7. Ramalina farinacea. 8. Hypotrachyna revoluta

By now it was lunch time.

In the afternoon we used the FSC chart "lichens on twigs" and listed those lichens which we had seen so far.