Description: This small, abundant, crevice-inhabiting coastal lichen is distinguished by an abundance of blue-grey overlapping squamules. These can become granular, twisted or knotted depending on the exposure, but are generally iced white with pruina towards the tips which slowly swell and then disintegrate into a coarse granular powder (soredia). Discs are rare. The production of soredia is variable. Sometimes the lichen can be smooth with soredia hardly showing. Other colonies can be overwhelmed by it. The C- thallus will separate it from lookalikes. Northern and southern coasts of Ireland, scattered elsewhere but probably under-recorded currently.

Key Identification Features:

• Minute, maritime rock crevice-lichen, with grey-blue to green (when wet) partly pruinose squamules, overlapping, often congested and sorediate
• Thallus C-: crevices, soil pockets, amongst decaying thrift cushions.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

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

iNaturalist: Solenopsora vulturiensis at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.