Description: This rock-inhabiting scripture lichen has been recorded just once in Ireland from south Kerry. It is easily overlooked for Polysporina simplex owing to the swollen Opegrapha-like discs. It is attracted to vertical, smooth-surfaced slatey rocks. Spores 17–23µm long, shaped like a figure-of-eight, often breaking where waisted; older spores, brown, warted.

Key Identification Features:

• Thallus scurfy, pale with grey, brown or green tones; discs very small (<1.5mm long), black, slit-like at first, then thickening
• Spore cells (asci) eight-spored, spores one-septate (Polysporina simplex has multispored asci); vertical slatey rocks.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

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

iNaturalist: Melaspilea interjecta at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.