Cladina Rangiferina

Day 161: When is a moss not a moss? Why, when it's a lichen, or course! You will often hear members of the Cladina family of lichens referred to as "reindeer moss," but in fact they are not mosses at all despite their habit of growing on trees and rocks alongside true bryophytes. Fourteen species are known to grow in North America, and one of the most common in Mount Rainier National Park is Cladonia rangiferina (shown here). Note how the tips of this lichen appear "combed" to one side, one of the distinctions which allow it to be identified fairly reliably in the field.