Description: This lichen is very easily overlooked because of its small and prostrate form and is very unlike other lichens in the genus. However, fear not! S. leucophaeopsis is a specialist species of metal-contaminated rock and colonises small pieces of mine spoil with its distinctive areole-like squamules with dark-grey centres and soralia only forming around the edges of these (never dissolving into a mass of sorediate granules). They are not unlike the flattened squamule-like phyllocladia of S. vesuvianum. In Ireland, the species is very local.

Key Identification Features:

• Areole-like squamules, K+ yellow, with dark centres on stable pieces of metalliferous mine spoil; areole edges often sorediate;
• Discs black, sometimes frequent.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

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

iNaturalist: Stereocaulon leucophaeopsis at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.