Maine Amusement

Day 7: Patty's thoughtful contribution to my Maine amusement kept me occupied for the better part of one evening and a sizeable chunk of morning. Once they had rehydrated sufficiently for me to be able to separate the layers for a look at the medullary ceiling, I confirmed that the Hypogymnia was H. physodes, a species which also grows in the Pacific Northwest. The Bryoria was a bit more challenging because it was quite dry and wiry even after soaking. Of course stiffness is characteristic of Bryorias. That's why they're known as "horsehair lichens," but this one was exceptionally crisp and only a small bit was present, tangled in the sample of Platismatia tuckermanii. The specimen was somewhat darker than our local version, a factor I attribute to a more abundant algal component. Indeed, more blue-green algae was present in two of the Platismatia colonies than in the third, and the sample of Bryoria had been extracted from one of the darker Platismatias. Lichen colour can be quite variable depending on the amount of algae in the tissue. Even so, my identification of Bryoria capillaris is somewhat hesitant; the taxonomy is currently in a state of flux with various sources disagreeing on whether or not east-coast populations should be considered separate from those on the west coast. I've gone with the lumpers in this case.