Day 60: In yesterday's post, I mentioned the rhizines which appear on the underside of Peltigera membranacea's "leaves" (the thallus). These brown structures are its apothecia, the fruiting bodies which produce the lichen's spores. Their resemblance to badly ingrown toenails is one of the defining characteristics of the species. Other Peltigeras produce similar apothecia at the tips of their lobes, but none is so markedly curled as that of Membranous Dog-Lichen. Why "dog?" I honestly don't know, unless it is because they are lightly furry. The Peltigeras are divided into two groups. "Dog-lichens" exhibit a tomentum (fuzziness) on the upper surface (refer to yesterday's glossary) and "Pelt lichens" which are either shiny or rough (scabrose). To further confuse matters, the Peltigeras are often referred to generically as "the Pelts."
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