Lichens of Lough Corrib

Area 2: 53.50051n, 9.44671w

In Area 2 we took some photographs of six different types of lichen. Lichens were scarce on the east side of the island. We found Buellia canescens, Mycoblastus sanguinarius (a light gray crust with large black spores), Crottle ( a pale gray or blue lichen), Physcia adscendens ( a small, lobed, pale blue lichen), Hypogymia pysodes ( a blue twig like lichen), and a lichen which we were unsure of but we believe it is either Thelotrema lapadinum or Aspilicia calcarea.

Buellia canescens: This lichen was special because when it is dry it is a pale gray, but when wet it is a pale green and it just so happens that when we took our photos it was just after raining.

Parmelia saxatilis - Crottle: This was one of the few lichens we found that had common names. This was another lichen used to create a wool dye in the olden days and gave a reddish brown colour. Locally known in Corr na Móna (where we launched our boat from) as Scraith cloch. My Granny in Corr na Móna remembers seeing an old woman using it to make a reddish brown dye for wool in Baile Dubh Loch near the village.

We also include one photo of a lichen under water. This lichen must grown and thrive at low water in summer but still survive the winter underwater. It is smaller than the other lichen samples found above the normal winter water level.

Macro photo of Buellia canescens in its wet green form.

Photo of Mycoblastus sanguinarius.

Macro image Crottle