Lichen new to the British Isles found at the National Trust’s Walcot Wood

The veteran oak trees of Walcot wood, with craggy, deeply ridged bark, are notable for carrying a rather specialised suite of ‘old woodland’ lichens.  In February 2012, lichenologists Brian & Sandy Coppins carried out a survey for NT and recognised Arthonia byssacea.  Sandy explains “It is an important veteran tree specialist of Europe and North America and extremely rare. It occurs on the trunk where it is seen as pale, creamy-whitish areas on the rough bark that look like minute bird droppings. It was recognised by Brian, who had last seen it in the Ukraine!”