Description: L. plicatile resembles one of the ‘jelly lichens’ when wet and grows in similar habitats — hard, calcareous rocks. The damp thallus forms rather gristly, elastic, rosettes sometimes covered in knobbly, warts (isidia) of different sizes. In the dry state the thallus is more brittle, and much pleated, hence the specific epithet plicatile (from the Latin plicatus = folded). It can be found on natural limestone, walls and on horizontal stone on old churchyards. Throughout Ireland.

Key Identification Features:

• When wet, the translucent lobes and rosette-like thallus are useful characters; in the dry state the lobes are heavily striated, and folded
• A species of horizontal limestone surfaces.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

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

iNaturalist: Scytinium plicatile at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.