A crustose species with a grey, continuous thallus that may be areolate in the centre and forms patches that are concentrically zoned and surrounded by a grey, fibrous prothallus. The apothecia have pale brown to pale yellow-brown discs that are flat and grey-white pruinose when young. The margin is entire or may be irregularly contorted and is often pruinose.
Thallus: C-, K-, UV-
In Scotland, Lecanora populicola is mainly confined to the northern and eastern Highlands where it is found on the smooth bark of the trunks and twigs of aspen. BLS distribution map
Lecanora populicola can be host to the lichenicolous fungus Candelariella superdistans.
scottishlichens.co.uk 