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, February 26, 2024
Peltigera Britannica
Day 136: Peltigera britannica is fairly easy to distinguish from other similar lichen species in the field when it is fruiting. Its cephalodia (layman's term: "little black spots") are easily detached. In fact, they are so easily detached that a good rainstorm can complicate identification by removing them. Each cephalodium is capable of reproducing another lichen, and large masses of Peltigera are not uncommon where conditions are ideal. This lichen attaches to its substrate by means of rhizines which, although they resemble roots, do not absorb nutrients. They serve solely to hold the lichen in place on rock, tree trunks or soil. The same species can exhibit a brown upper surface, many times growing side-by-side with a spring-green companion.
Labels:
cephalodia,
Flaky Freckle Pelt,
Peltigera britannica
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