Day 134: "Who sprayed green paint all over that log?" I've heard that question asked several times, and the truth of the matter is that the "paint" is the crustose thallus of Icmadophila ericetorum, also known as "Candy Lichen" or (appropriately) "Spray Paint." The pinkish-white structures are the apothecia (fruiting bodies), not an overgrowth of a fungus as many people suppose. That said, lichens are neither fungus nor plant. In fact, they are a symbiotic union of an alga and a fungus, a co-dependent and complex relationship which operates to the mutual benefit of each partner. Many have very specific requirements for growth. Icmadophila is often found on decaying cedar in the Pacific Northwest.
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