Description: This tiny rarity and crustose lichen, is a mainly tropical species. In temperate areas it grows mainly on old heather (and probably gorse) stems and the bark of ancient woodland trees. The orange-brown to dark brown discs have a fluffy or a woolly edge (exciple) that spreads outwards like a web against a thin grey thallus. In Ireland, there is a single record from Clonmacnois, County Offaly.

Key Identification Features:

• Forms tiny, grey spreading patches on old, straggly heather stems and old forest trees
• Discs are two-tone, orange-brown (never black) with a grey, woolly exciple which spreads outwards, web-like.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

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

iNaturalist: Byssoloma leucoblepharum at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.