Day 99: Sometimes you just have to go with your best guess. Hypogymnia apinnata and H. enteromorpha are so similar that it is impossible to tell them apart reliably in the field, and my home laboratory is not equipped to test for the acid reaction which may or may not distinguish them from each other. Their distribution is almost identical as well, so location is of no help. In the Pacific Northwest, enteromorpha is more common and indeed, I believe I saw many examples during my hike of Eatonville's Bud Blancher Trail. However, there were subtle differences in a very few specimens (half a dozen at most), and among them was this compact colony which made me pause for a photo. Lichens and their admirers can be said to have something in common: we go out on limbs. I'll extend myself on one to call this H. apinnata.
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