Teloschistaceae Variospora aurantia (Caloplaca aurantia) Growth type placodioid (crustose with lobed margins) Chemical results: Thallus and apothecia K+ crimson / purple Common on sunny, nutrient-rich calcareous rocks and tombstones, most frequent in southern England. Orange-yellow thallus, radiating lobes with distinctly flattened tips and numerous large orange-brown apothecia with lighter margins. Area behind lobe tips often paler than at the centre. Spores 10-13 x 8-10 µm. Rarely host to the lichenicolous fungus Weddellomyces epicallopisma Similar: Caloplaca flavescens

Caloplaca aurantia
Wool, Dorset. February 2013