Hypogymnia Inactiva

Day 106: Just as I was about to start celebrating a second location for a different Hypogymnia ("tube lichen"), I said to myself, "Hang on a mo'...the medullary ceiling was dark, not white. That means it's..." (I grabbed the 40-pound field guide) "...it's inactiva." The narrow-lobed Hypogymnias are easy to confuse without that crucial datum, so I was glad I'd checked. No, I honestly don't have all the information committed to memory. I rely on books and other resources almost on a daily basis, whether it's for lichens or vascular plants. That said, there are different things to check for between genera in the field, e.g., presence and type of fruiting bodies, branching, base colour, whether a podetium (stalk) is hollow or solid, and those are the things I keep in mind when examining a specimen. Even then, it's all too often that I won't be able to differentiate species simply from macroscopic characteristics. If I can get "close enough for gov'mint work," I'm happy. With Hypogymnias, one of the most helpful field identification points is the colour of the medullary ceiling, so when I found this one, I pinched off one small lobe and peeled it apart. Hypogymnias are called "tube lichens" for a good reason. Their lobes are hollow, like balloon animals. Separate the blue-green top from the black lower surface, and the telling point will be what colour is on the inside of the top layer. If anyone had been close by, they would have heard me apologize, "Sorry, sorry. I can't tell who you are without doing this. Sorry!" as I nipped off an inch with my thumbnail. Yes, seriously.

Totally Tubular Transplant

Day 21: Tube lichens are among my favourites. Why "tube?" The lobes of Hypogymnias are like little balloons, inflated, generally black on the bottom and pale green on top. One of the steps in differentiating them is to peel the two surfaces apart in order to examine the underside of the top layer (the medullary ceiling). Its colour can be helpful in distinguishing species. According to Bruce McCune, "Students of Hypogymnia are frequently seen popping open lobes to check for the white interiors of H. imshaugii versus H. inactiva" (the specimen in the photograph above). It is one of the most common Hypogymnias in the Pacific Northwest. Occasionally when I'm out hiking in an area where collection is allowed, a forlorn, fallen clump of lichen will follow me home like a stray kitten to be transplanted to a suitable substrate in my yard. I hope H. inactiva likes old cedar fencing.

Totally Tubular

 Day 52: A number of very similar tube lichens grow in the Pacific Northwest, and a dissecting microscope and chemical testing may be needed to differentiate them. For the most part, the Hypogymnias feel somewhat like fragments of balloon, i.e. rubbery and limp, and will stretch significantly without tearing. The lobes are hollow, as can be seen in many cases by close observation of the tips (upper left). The lower surface is black, and the upper surface may be flecked with black pycnidia as well. The apothecia are generally large and obvious, and may be perforated at the center (lower right). The Hypogymnias occur commonly on conifers including Douglas fir. Absence of smaller lobules along the margins of the main lobes suggests that this specimen from Longmire is Hypogymnia apinnata (as opposed to H. enteromorpha which exhibits that characteristic).