Jamesiella scotica facts for kids

Jamesiella scotica is a type of lichen. A lichen is a living thing made of a fungus and an algae working together. This special lichen is believed to live only in the United Kingdom and Ireland. When a species lives in just one area, it is called endemic.

In the UK, you can find Jamesiella scotica in mountain areas. It grows at heights over 200 metres. It likes to live on rotting bryophytes, which are like mosses. It especially likes to grow on a moss called Marsupella emarginata. It also needs soil that has lots of basic minerals.

Where It Lives and How We Protect It

In the UK, Jamesiella scotica is listed as "near threatened." This means its numbers are low, but it is not in immediate danger of disappearing. Because it is rare, it is protected by a law called the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

You can find this lichen in the Cairngorm mountains in Scotland. It also lives in other parts of the Scottish Highlands, like Ben Alder, Ben Hope, and Ben Lawers.

In Wales, Jamesiella scotica has been found in three places: Cwm Idwal, Cwm Glas Mawr, and Llyn Glas. In England, it is known from one spot in Cumbria. In Ireland, it grows on a special kind of limestone rock in County Donegal.

What It Looks Like

Jamesiella scotica is a crustose lichen. This means it grows flat and thin, like a crust or a layer of paint. Its body, called a thallus, looks like a shiny varnish. It can grow to be about 1.5 centimeters wide.