Pyrenula nitida
Suffolk Priority Species
Pyrenula nitida is a distinctive crustose lichen of smooth, humid bark – most often hazel, holly, and elder in ancient and long-established woodland – and is considered one of the most reliable indicators of ancient woodland continuity in lowland England. Its shining, dark thallus with immersed black perithecia is characteristic once learned. Nationally scarce, it is associated with the humid, sheltered conditions found in ancient broadleaved woodland with a long history of canopy cover and stable microclimate. In Suffolk, it is associated with the ancient woodland systems of the boulder clay in the south and west of the county, where suitable smooth-barked trees persist under semi-closed canopy. Image: © bernardwieser, iNaturalist.
Find out more: iNaturalist, British Lichen Society
Suffolk’s Priority Lichen Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
