First up is a fleshy, leafy lichen on a bed of rock and moss. My best guess on an ID would be this is a Felt Lichen – Peltigera polydactylon. I’ve tamed it down some but it’s still a pretty wild guess. My only ‘research’ was looking at far too many photos trying to find a match.

Lichen Wallpaper Large Lichen photos are linked to a 1024 x 768 sized image Lichen Thumbnails are linked to 1680 x 1050 wide screen image The light colored odd shaped growths are another mystery to me. New growth? Reproductive tomfoolery? Mutant terrestrial rock kelp?

Long past their season these Orange Mock Oysters wintered over in fine shape. Wish I had found them in the fall when they were fresh. They might have smelled then. Orange Mock Oysters grow on both hardwood and conifers but the odd thing about them is they don’t smell when growing on conifers. I’ve found them growing on hemlock and couldn’t detect a hint of any odor. Today’s find was on an old dead birch but if they had any odor it was freeze dried out. One other note: they’re supposed to taste worst than they smell.

Orange Mock Oyster – Phyllotopsis nidulans

Mock Oyster Wallpaper – 1024 x 768

The If I don’t use them now I’ll never use them category

Ice Quake

Huge slabs of river ice have cracked and buckled along the shoreline while performing their own version of the plate tectonics shuffle.

The camera can’t catch what the eye sees in this photo.

A macro view of a miniature world in my backyard looks more like an alien ice age scene than a common terrestrial life form sighting.

I never tire of photographing these miniature lichen landscapes. The macro views are always fascinating and about the only way I can actually see them.

Desktop Backgrounds The top and bottom photos are linked to a 1024 x 768 sized image. The thumbnail to the left is linked to one sized 1680 x 1050 for wider resolutions. Generally I make wallpapers for my own use. I change them like diapers and create the size that fits me. If you like anything you see on this blog and would like a background created to fit your screen resolution – don’t hesitate to ask.

I’ll leave the understanding of Lichen reproduction to others. I’m getting too old for a complex anatomy and physiology lesson on these composite, symbiotic organisms. I know enough say these erections are a Lichen’s fruiting bodies but if you want to know more you’ll have to do your own research.

I should have flagged the location of this Lichen, I’m pretty sure I can find it again but it means covering a hell of a lot of stone wall. This is the first time I’ve seen the ‘jelly caps’ and I’m wondering if they just might be some British Soldier Lichen’s fruiting bodies that haven’t turned dry and bright red yet.

I’m satisfied with a very basic understanding that doesn’t need to go any further than this quote.

‘Lichens are fungi that have discovered agriculture’
…lichenologist Trevor Goward

These whimsical protrusions are the naughty parts of the lichen growing among the moss on this rock. Nudge, Nudge – Wink, Wink. Podentia are the fruiting bodies erected for spore dispersal.

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Frost lingering in the shade is about to lose it’s grip on the moss. You know you live a bit north when you think a day is pretty warm and frost still lingers in the shade during late afternoon.

I know what’s coming and somewhat surprised we haven’t gotten a taste of it yet. Jack Frost may be getting a little heavy handed but at least Old Man Winter hasn’t shown his face so far.

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A close look at a Pixie Cup. That reminds me I need to wash out my coffee travel mug.

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A miniature rock garden of moss and lichen.

A tough niche for a fern.