Description: V. fuscella belongs to an aggregate of closely related species. This small, common, crustose lichen of natural and artificial calcareous substrata has a silvery-grey to lead-grey, plate-like thallus broken by black cracks giving it a crazy paving appearance. The spherical discs (perithecia) are completely immersed and appear as little dots at the surface. It is never dominant. Look for it in the spaces between other lichens. It is widespread in Ireland.

Key Identification Features:

• Grey, extensively black-cracked thallus with tiny dots on the surface
• It is superficially similar to Buellia aethelea which has small apothecia and tends to occur on more obviously acid substrates.

Original text submitted by Simon Davey

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

iNaturalist: Placopyrenium fuscellum at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.