365Caws is now in its 16th year of publication. If I am unable to post daily, I hope readers who love the natural world and fiberarts will seize those days to read the older material. Remember that this has been my journey as well, so you may find errors in my identifications of plants. I have tried to correct them as I discover them. Likewise, I have refined fiberarts techniques and have adjusted recipes, so search by tags to find the most current information. And thank you for following me!
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Lettuce Lung, Lobaria Oregana
Day 114: Take a deep breath. Where you find any of the "lung" lichens, you can be assured that the air is free of most pollutants. Although most members of this family prefer shady old-growth forest, they can be found in younger stands as well where they are popular forage food for deer and elk. Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria found in the cephalodia (small gall-like growths) of Lobaria species play a significant role in contributing to the overall health of a forest. Aren't lichens grand?

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