Lichens near Foredale Farm - mid north side of SD8069 - 3 May 2025

The route of the old road to Foredale Farm, bounded by two drystone walls, was left when the newer tarmac road to the quarry was built many years ago.

Penyghent seen in the distance. 

This made a nice place to sample lichens as the old route is now grass covered.  The walls, whilst constructed mostly of siliceous rocks, had a few limestone stones in them, and the sun shone.

Here are some lichens I found. I really wish I had taken a photo of the farmer on the quadbike with the sheep and lambs too.

This is Xanthoria calcicola (also in the top picture) which has a very warty thallus and is bright orange with a slightly more yellow bright margin. It does not usually fruit, but this one has apothecia.

I am calling this Diploschistes muscorum. It has urn-shaped apothecia - They seem very small in this specimen but maybe they are young.  

Close up

The very small apothecia  in the small thalli on this rounded sandstone rock in the wall turned purple with K. I call this species Caloplaca holocarpa sensu stricta.  It is a distinctive species 

Another jolly patch of Xanthoria calcicola. Xanthoria calcicola is rare around here

 in this Settle hectad. 

But I think I have seen in the Mersey embankment, on the Thames Embankment, on the Wall beside the Seine and in the botanic garden at Barcelona..( I  just need to double check.)

Dermatocarpon miniatum - Although it is growing on a sliceous rock there are odd limestone rocks in the wal, and also this wall is a hundred me or so from the old long since discues limestone quarry processing plant when there would have been lots of limestone dust.  I had put a bit of water on this very dry lichen.

Collema fuscovirens

The bedrock showing in the track is an anticline. 
It has some Lecanora muralis growing on it 

Another jolly patch of Xanthoria calcicola. Xanthoria calcicola is rare around here

 in this Settle hectad. 

But I think I have seen in the Mersey embankment, on the Thames Embankment, on the Wall beside the Seine and in the botanic garden at Barcelona..( I  just need to double check.)