653B - Wild Icelandic Vegetation II - Bullseye lichen - Self-adhesive

Bullseye lichen (Placopsis gelida) is a common lichen all over the country. It lives in close proximity with green algae. Bullseye lichen was one of the first three lichens to be found in Surtsey after the island formed in 1963. It is common where humid marine climate prevails but rarely found in the country’s northern interior where the climate is more continental. It is found at high altitudes where foggy weather is more common than in the lowlands. The bullseye lichen grows on stones, both basalt and tuff, and often on pebbles lying on the ground.