Biodiversity & Conservation

A lichen - Verrucaria mucosa

Verrucaria mucosa

Image Harvey Tyler-Walters - Verrucaria mucosa on mid shore rocks. Image width ca 10 cm.
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Distribution map

Verrucaria mucosa recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

Why do the maps differ?

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Verrucaria mucosa is not listed under any importance categories.

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy Taxon English term
Phylum Ascomycota Sac fungi
Class Pyrenomycetes
Authority Wahlenberg, 1803
Recent synonyms None
Map icon Recorded Distribution in Britain and Ireland Widely distributed around Britain and Ireland on rocky shores but not recorded from the shores of south east England, probably due to a lack of suitable substrata.
Habitat information icon Habitat information Found on well lit rocks from the middle to the lower shore. Rarer on wave sheltered shores.
Text page icon Description A thin, encrusting lichen forming bright bottle-green to dark olive green patches on mid shore to lower shore rocks. The thallus is smooth, oily or slightly irregularly cracked in appearance with a white edge around the margin. The thallus may be up to 30cm across. Small, black fruiting bodies are embedded in the thallus and become slightly raised when dry.
Identifying features
  • Thallus bright bottle-green to dark olive green in colour.
  • Thallus bears a white margin (prothallus).
  • Small, black fruiting bodies (perithecia) embedded in thallus when wet and raised when dry.
Additional information icon Additional information May be confused with Verrucaria maura or Verrucaria striatula. Verrucaria striatula is similar but bears elevated black dots or ridges and prominent black fruiting bodies. Verrucaria maura has a matt black, cracked encrusting thallus with numerous small black fruiting bodies and occurs from just below to above high water level.

This review can be cited as follows:

Dr Harvey Tyler-Walters 2002. Verrucaria mucosa. A lichen. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 03/09/2010]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesinformation.php?speciesID=4573>