It's A Frog Pelt!

Day 105: Don't blame me! That's what this unusual lichen is called. Its Latin name is Peltigera neopolydactyla and those funny little brown tips are its apothecia (fruiting bodies). Frog Pelt occurs in several color variations: dark blue-grey (shown here), pale blue-grey and olive green. Its name derives from a local Native American word meaning "frog's blanket." The brown apothecia are approximately 5 mm. in length.

I discovered this specimen and two others in Charles L. Pack Experimental Forest near LaGrande, WA. Pack Forest is one of my favorite places for short hikes and it frequently provides me with natural curiosities such as this.