Ephebe lanata (L.) Vain.

    Thallus filamentous, made of soft filaments, 5 to 15 mm long, somewhat glossy, tangled, much branched and divided with only occasional short spine-like branches, carpet-forming, 5-20 cm wide max., may also form large colonies overlying rocks, brown-green when moist to dark-brown or brown-black when dry. Ascomata rare, occurring as minute, concolorous structures in swellings on the branches, sometimes in small clusters, partially immersed and nodulous. Ascospores simple, ellipsoid, 1-septate. 11-18 x 4-6 µm. Photobiont: Stigonema. Chemical spot tests negative. Common, not especially maritime, on inundated rocks in streams, and seepage tracks on siliceous rocks and boulders, sometimes at the water level on walls of old watermills or salmons migration devices (easy to confuse with small tufts of dead mosses). Tolerate periodic immersion and therefore often found with fresh water Verrucaria and Ionaspis lacustris. *