Description: This species is mainly an epiphyte of twigs. Easily missed, it is often dismissed as the similar Amandinea punctata (described elsewhere) which prefers alternative habitats such as dusty tree boles and the root plate. Essentially, the thin, beige to brownish thallus is covered with a scattering of minute (0.15-0.3mm diam.), flat, black discs, which stand out from the thallus so are easy to see. A microscope squash (this can be done in seconds) will clearly show the one-septate spores and the brown, swollen tips of the paraphyses. Southern Ireland with scattered outpost in the north.

Key Identification Features:

• Twig lichen, with tiny, flat, black discs on a faint beige-brown thallus
• Spores one-septate (8-10µm long).

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

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

iNaturalist: Catillaria nigroclavata at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.