Description: This may be one of the most frequent of the ‘pin lichens’ in Ireland, but it is still uncommon and confined mostly to the north. It grows best on the lignum of dead trees and old tree stumps especially conifers, even those that remain standing long after an episode of fire. The golf-tee-like stalks occur en masse, often scores of these together. They are most easily seen, edge on. There is virtually no thallus. The black stalks grow to 1mm high, with a paintbrush-like spore mass. The discs are black with a white-frosted margin. Under a lens they look rather like those miniature brass brushes by an old fireplace. C. glaucellum will also grow on untreated timber and wooden fence posts in sites sheltered from rain. Northern half of Ireland; uncommon.

Key Identification Features:

• Black, stalks to 1cm with a paintbrush-like spore mass
• Discs with a distinct, white edge, directly below the spore mass.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

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

iNaturalist: Calicium glaucellum at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.