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Oak Moss Lichen

Evernia prunastri

Colour

with little tiny branches almost like a a lot of green tiny deer antlers
  • Grows in short tufts (to 10 cm) of flattened branches with forked tips, often with a net-like pattern of ridges visible on the surface.
  • Pale grey-green to pale yellow-green on the upper side and whitish underneath. This can be harder to see if the lichen has spent some time on the ground or in older specimens. This colour difference is due to Evernia technically being a foliose lichen, as its internal structure means it just has a single layer of algal cells beneath the upper cortex.
  • Patches of grainy soredia may be present on the edges of branches and ridges, becoming more extensive over time. Apothecia (fruiting bodies) are very rare.

Habitat

It prefers well-lit conditions, so is often present in the canopy and on lower branches in well-lit situations.

Similar species

Could be confused with Ramalina farinacea (below) which has narrower, more straggly branches, and lacks the pale underside. E. prunastri  also lacks the oval soralia on the edges of the lobes, which is a distinctive feature of R. farinacea.

Other lichens with strap-like branches that are likely to be encountered in the rainforest, such as Ramalina calicaris, R. fastigiata, and R. fraxinea, commonly have rounded apothecia on their branches which are extremely rare in E. prunastri.

Distribution 

Widespread and common across the whole British Isles

Did you know?

  • The English name is a real misnomer, as it’s not a moss and grows on a range of tree species besides oak!
  • Oil distilled form this lichen is used in the perfume industry as a fixative and has a strong, musky odour.
  • It is sensitive to high levels of pollution from sulphur dioxide, so its return to an area signals a reduction in fumes since the Clear Air Acts came in last century.

Other Species

Unfortunately we don’t have a page on that species yet, but we’re always adding new species of plants, fungi and lichens, so make sure to check back again soon! In the meantime, why not explore some of the other species we have?