Thursday 3 November 2022

Enlichenment at La Pierre Percee

On Saturday 22 October my friend Marie-Claude led an outing to look at lichens at the dolmen (prehistoric standing stone) known as La Pierre Percée near Draché.

Magpie Inkcap Coprinopsis picacea, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
Magpie Inkcap Coprinopsis picacea (Fr. Coprin pie). Eating this species will give you an upset stomach. It occurs all over Europe, and in parts of Australia.

Studying lichens on a dolmen, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
Looking at the Pierre Percée dolmen.

Studying the lichens on a Pubescent Oak, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
Looking at the lichens on a Pubescent Oak Quercus pubescens (Fr. chêne pubescent). These are my friends Corinne, Marie-Claude and Danielle.

View of the Vienne Valley, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
View of the Vienne Valley from La Pierre Percée.

A dog-tooth lichen Peltigera rufescens, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
The dog-tooth lichen Peltigera rufescens, which grows on the ground. It was found by me, so I was especially pleased to learn that it is a new record for the site.

A foliose lichen with a disease, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
The red on this foliose lichen indicates it has a disease.

Sporodophoron cretaceum, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
Sporodophoron cretaceum, which is always found on oak and looks like snow. It stains yellow when brushed with potassium.

Lecidella elaeochroma (black) and Lecanora chlarotera (brown) on sycamore trunk, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
Olive Disk Lichen Lecidella elaeochroma (black) and Lecanora chlarotera (brown) on a sycamore trunk. Olive Disk Lichen is a cosmopolitan species, occurring worldwide. L. chlarotera is described as looking like 'lumpy porridge' and is one of the first lichens to colonise young trees in semi-urban spaces.

Physcia clementei, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
Physcia clementei on a sycamore trunk.

Rusty Firedot Lichen Blastenia ferruginea, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
Rusty Firedot Lichen Blastenia ferruginea on a sycamore trunk.

Hammered Shield Lichen Parmelia sulcata, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
Hammered Shield Lichen Parmelia sulcata on a sycamore trunk. This is a globally abundant species, tolerating high levels of pollution.


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