Description: Where natural limestone forms large tracts of land, narrow rock crevices and soily depressions are the habitats most likely to yield this species. Soil-inhabiting lichens are often squamulose and P. lurida is no exception, with overlapping, chestnut-brown scales, smooth-margined yet wavy-edged, forming a thick, uneven crust of jigsaw-like pieces. Discs are common, black or very dark brown, to about 1mm diam. Catapyrenium lichens have immersed discs (perithecia); Solenopsora holophaea is similar but occurs only on sea cliffs; it has discs with a rim, which is entirely lacking in mature discs of Psora. Inland on limestone and calcareous rocks. County Clare and north-west Ireland.

Key Identification Features:

• Squamulose thallus on soily humus over limestone with chestnut-brown, uneven scales forming a thick, cracked crust
• Discs black or brown with margins that disappear with age.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

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

iNaturalist: Romjularia lurida at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.