Dislodged Kidneys

Day 142: When the Park reopened after the storm damage was repaired and I could get back into Longmire, one of the things on my agenda was to check the campground for dislodged Kidneys. I have found Nephroma helveticum there in two locations. In both cases, it had dropped from the canopy far above my head and was attached to either a branch or twig from some tree I couldn't pinpoint. My most recent find (above) was about 100' from one of the customary drop-zones, but given the size of the twig (no more than four inches long) and its lightness, I concluded that it had probably been blown there on a gust of wind. Five species of Nephroma are known to occur in the Park. As shown here in a Penny Perspective, Fringed Kidneys (Nephroma helveticum) are easy to identify by the creamy white "ruffle" which borders the brown disks like a crocheted edging. The lower surface is smooth.