Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History)

LICHEN GENUS MICAREA IN EUROPE 153
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Map 12 Micarea melaena # 1950 onwards O Before 1950
C. floerkeana, C. subcervicornis, Coelocaulon aculeatum s. lat., Lecidea icmalea, Micarea
leprosula, and Ochrolechia androgyna. M. melaena is often found on rocks, growing over peaty
debris or decaying mats of bryophytes and Cladonia squamules, but occurrences where it is
growing directly on rock are rare. To my knowledge, all such occurrences in Britain are confined
to woodland situations in rather heavily polluted areas approximating to zones 3-5 on the scale
of Hawksworth & Rose (1970); these areas include Leicestershire, the West Yorkshire
conurbation, and Fife.
M. melaena is widely distributed in mainland Britain, but is particularly common in the upland
areas of the north and west. There is a dearth of records from Ireland, where it is unlikely to be
rare in suitable terrain. M. melaena is known from most parts of the European mainland and is
particularly common in the boreal regions of Fennoscandia and upper Bavaria and adjoining
alpine districts, but this apparent tendency may, at least partially, be a reflection of the avidity of
the collectors active in those areas, and the herbaria which I have studied! It has been found in
the Azores on Cryptomeria and sulphur-rich soils near fumaroles, but it is so far unrecorded
from the Canary Islands. From outside Europe I have seen several collections from eastern
Canada and north-eastern U.S.A.
Exsiccata: Anzi Lich. Exs. Ital. 259A (BM, M). Anzi Lich. Sondr. 170B (UPS). Arnold Lich. Exs.
332A-C (M). Arnold Lich. Mon. 49 (M), 248 (C, M), 249 (C, MANCH), 407 (C, M, MANCH). Britz.
Lich. Exs. 946 (M). Fellman Lich. Am. 159 (H). Flotow Lich. Exs. 129C (UPS). Fries Lich. Suec. 212A, B
(C, H-NYL p.m. 4778, M, UPS). Hepp Fl. Eur. 504 (BM, E, WRSL). Johnson Lich. Herb. 376 (BM).
Krypt. Exs. Vindob. 362 (BM, M). Leighton Lich. Brit. 120 (BM). Malme Lich. Suec. 27 (C, M, S). Moug.