Description: This ‘bark-pimple’ lichen has one-septate, tadpole-shaped spores thus giving rise to the specific epithet, ‘ranunculosporum’. It colonises the smooth bark of well-established oak and ash in old, sheltered woodlands. Often it can be identified from a distance, the fragile-looking patches of white or fawn bark glowing pinkish and easily scratching orange with a fingernail. The spherical black discs (perithecia) appear frosted, due to the thin layer of bark cells which covers them. In Ireland, the species is widespread, but rarer in the midland counties.

Key Identification Features:

• A delicate ‘bark-pimple’ lichen forming fawn to pinkish patches on the sheltered bark of mature trees especially oak and ash in old woodlands
• Perithecia (pimples) tiny (<0.4mm diam.) with a crystalline-pruinose appearance; bark scratches orange; spores one-septate, tadpole-shaped.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

Distribution Map from NBN: Reichlingia anombrophila at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Reichlingia anombrophila at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.