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(Map updated: 11 August 2009)

Someone once described this species as like a mini-pizza stuck on tree bark. D. plumbea is a robust, grey to pale brown plant with a lobed, fan-shaped margin and a felt-like underside. It is prolifically fertile, the red-brown discs being scattered over most of the thallus. It occurs on neutral to basic-barked trees in undisturbed oceanic woodland. It may also be found on mature, isolated trees, especially ash. It is occasional on coastal rocks. It is fairly frequent in suitable localities in Ireland, becoming more abundant in the west.

Key characteristics

• The large, disc-shaped thalli of this blue-grey lichen are found mostly on basic-barked trees in the west in well-established, well-lit woodland, scrub or swamp
• The thick, lobed, bluish-grey thallus with dull, brownish-red fruits indicates this species. Degelia atlantica (described elsewhere) is similar, but rarely fertile, and is covered in granular, knob-like isidia.

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