Churchyard Lecanactis

Paralecanographa grumulosa, commonly known as churchyard lecanactis, is a crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. This species grows as a thin, grayish-white crust on bark and occasionally rock surfaces, particularly favoring ancient trees in humid, sheltered environments such as churchyards, old woodlands, and shaded hedgerows. The thallus is typically granular to verrucose in texture, bearing small, dark apothecia characteristic of the genus. Like many corticicolous lichens, it is sensitive to air pollution and bark chemistry, making it a useful bioindicator of long-term habitat continuity and air quality. It thrives in regions with high atmospheric moisture and low nitrogen pollution. Lecanactis-type lichens are associated with old-growth or ancient-tree habitats in western Europe, where they form part of the nationally scarce epiphytic lichen community. The species has not been formally assessed by the IUCN. Its presence often signals ancient woodland continuity and undisturbed microhabitats. Conservation of churchyard trees and veteran timber is important for maintaining populations of this and related crustose lichens. Taxonomic placement has been revised in recent years, with the genus Paralecanographa separated from the broader Lecanactis aggregate based on molecular phylogenetics and morphological characters of the ascomata.