365Caws is now in its 16th year of publication. If I am unable to post daily, I hope readers who love the natural world and fiberarts will seize those days to read the older material. Remember that this has been my journey as well, so you may find errors in my identifications of plants. I have tried to correct them as I discover them. Likewise, I have refined fiberarts techniques and have adjusted recipes, so search by tags to find the most current information. And thank you for following me!
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
All In A Day's Work
Day 141: These are just a few of the lichen species I documented over a four-mile walk today. All of these are fairly common in the Longmire Stewardship Campground and on the west side of the Park. Top left: Stereocaulon paschale, "Easter Lichen"; top right: Peltigera britannica, "Flaky Freckle Pelt"; bottom left: Platismatia glauca, "Varied Rag" or "Ragbag"; bottom right: Sphaerophorus venerabilis (formerly S. globosus), "Coral Lichen." Each has a special mechanism for capturing and holding precious moisture until it can be absorbed into the lichen's tissues. Stereocaulon utilizes tiny scales (squamules), while both Peltigera and Platismatia have veined, pitted surfaces in which moisture accumulates. Sphaerophorus relies on its lacework of branches to retain even the smallest deposits of dew. Highly adapted organisms, lichens can survive protracted periods of dry weather due to their specialized forms.
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