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(Map updated: 11 August 2009)

Compact (1-3cm high), shrubby-tufted lichen with round, glossy, brown-spiny branches. When dry, it forms tight cushions of spiky tufts. Often present on the wood of old fallen de-barked trees, windthrown branches and broken tree limbs that have been left to age and recolonise undisturbed. It is also occasionally found on warm moorland slopes. Much confused with Cetraria aculeata from which it differs in its smaller overall size (best understood when seen growing together), rather fragile rounded, spiny branches and habitat. Throughout Ireland.

Key characteristics

• On fallen, slowly decaying tree trunks and limbs
• Rather short, compact, shrubby, brown and spiny-branched.

NBN Atlas mapping: Species account : NBN Atlas UK Species Observations database

iNaturalist: Species account : iNaturalist World Species Observations database

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini