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.
Monday, November 6, 2023
Happy As A Wet Lichen
Day 24: You've heard the phrase, "mad as a wet hen." How about "happy as a wet lichen?" Lichens have a variety of strategies for gathering moisture, and can survive for protracted periods of dry weather by being able to maximize what little is available as dew and in the form of humidity. Many lichens have rough or scaly cortices which increase their surface area substantially. Others like Lettuce Lung (Lobaria pulmonaria) have dimpled foliage in which water pools and is subsequently absorbed into their tissues. Had you seen this specimen in late summer, you would have thought it was dead. The lobes were brown and so crisp that they could easily be crumbled between probing fingers. However, once the autumn rains began, this lichen quickly came back to life and greenness.
Labels:
Lettuce Lung,
Lobaria pulmonaria,
survival strategy
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