Description: The smooth, pale, grey-green colour of this crustose lichen (like a pale green skin) may be seen across a range of urban and rural habitats but is most common on shaded limestone, concrete, damp garden walls and on waste ground. It is a species of weakly calcareous rock in the shade, so should also be looked for in churchyards. The spherical discs (perithecia) are numerous. The critical clue to its certain identification lies at the apex of the discs which appear blunted into a ring. This makes it easy to spot with the naked eye. Throughout Ireland.

Key Identification Features:

• On shaded calcareous rock, brickwork and concrete
• Thallus, a pale-green skin, smooth, dotted with numerous perithecia, many of these with blunt tips making them appear like pale or dark tubular rings from above.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

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

iNaturalist: Verrucaria elaeina at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.