365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Xanthoria Polycarpa
Day 188: If you have ever seen Xanthoria polycarpa (above) or its eastern cousin, X. parietina, you will never forget the colour. Seen in the distance, it assaults the eye with a statement of orange which is undeniable, but on closer observation, hints of yellow and green insert themselves into the visual perception, leaving the viewer rather in want of a proper adjective to describe the hue. To my eye, it is beautiful, arguably one of the most striking lichens in the catalog, yet I have heard more responses of "ewwwww!" to it than to any other species. Young growth or that which receives more sunlight is often a richer, orangy shade; the abundant apothecial disks exhibit strongly coloured centers surrounded by pale rims. Although this species is occasionally observed on evergreens, it prefers hardwood, here seen on the lower portion of a flowering plum which it almost entirely covered. The effect of pink flowers or mahogany leaves rising above an orange trunk is truly other-worldly!
Labels:
flowering plum,
Katie's house,
Xanthoria polycarpa
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