Thursday, January 20, 2022

Platismatia Herrei


Day 99: Although I have read nothing to support it, I think of Platismatia herrei (Tattered Rag Lichen) as a canopy species based on personal observation. I generally find it after wind or snow storms when material is brought down from the overstory, as was the case here. If you had asked me if P. herrei occurred on my property, I'd have said no until this morning when, on a routine patrol for "blog shots," I found a bit of it under Big Doug, the enormous Douglas-fir in the northwest corner of my yard. Whether it fell from Big Doug or the smaller Pseudotsuga which stands next to him, I can't say, but I suspect they may both harbour the lichen, tangled as they are in each others' evergreen arms. Who knows? Maybe they even have Kidneys (Nephroma helveticum) up there in their crowns. Now that would be a pleasant surprise!

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