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(Map updated: 11 August 2009)

No one could fail to be attracted by this species: foliose, rosette-like, with a blue-grey thallus, narrow, finger-like lobes and a surface covered in numerous, globose, powdery eruptions of bluish soralia. On nutrient-rich, man-made substrates, such as the tops of old concrete posts, it can look impressive. It also occurs on basic shrubs and trees, for example, elder, especially on twigs and branches. It is common throughout Ireland on suitable substrates.

Key characteristics

• The habitat, its rosette form, blue-grey thallus with bluish powdery soralia helps to distinguish this species
• The rarer Physcia tribacioides has a different habitat, narrower lobes and paler, small whitish soralia. Physcia dubia is always smaller and more adpressed and has distinctive lip-shaped soralia.

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

iNaturalist: Species account : iNaturalist World Species Observations database

Original text submitted by Simon Davey