Starry Breck-lichen Buellia asterella
The Starry Breck-lichen (Buellia asterella) is one of Britain’s rarest lichens and one of the most emblematic species of the Breckland – a national stronghold for this declining terricolous species. It grows on open, bare, or sparsely vegetated sandy ground, forming small, grey-brown crusts distinguished by star-shaped spore-bearing structures. The maintenance of open, disturbed ground through rabbit grazing and careful land management is essential to its survival. Suffolk holds some of the most important nationally significant sites, and the species is a key indicator of the high conservation value of open Breckland habitats. Image: © Annie Evankow, iNaturalist.
Find out more: iNaturalist, British Lichen Society
Suffolk’s Priority Lichen Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
Archived action plan, 2003