Description: This very attractive, scaly-crustose lichen forms neat patches approximately 3-6cm across on damp mossy or soily rocks and trees and among the plants of sheltered drystone walls. When dry the blue-grey thallus is seen to be composed of very small, flattened, overlapping scales that are granular rather than lobed. The bright, orangey-brown discs (c. 2mm diam.) are common and abundantly produced, each with a granular-scalloped edge. P. pezizoides is also a feature of shallow stream gorges and boulder tops within waterfall splash zones: easily a lichen to fall in love with. North and west Ireland.

Key Identification Features:

• Blue-grey thallus of overlapping, granular scales capped with a profusion of bright orange-brown discs with notched edges. Psoroma hypnorum is similar but is always bright green when wet
• On soil, rocks, trees and among mosses: moist, long-undisturbed sites, chiefly.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

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

iNaturalist: Protopannaria pezizoides at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.