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!
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Stereocaulon Paschale, Easter Lichen
Day 145: Before you ask, I do not know why Stereocaulon paschale is called "Easter Lichen." It is one of approximately half a dozen "foam" lichens which can be found in the Pacific Northwest, and most of the others have the word "foam" in their common names: Woolly Foam, Rock Foam, Snow Foam. Easter Lichen isn't quite as "foamy" as the others, so perhaps that's why the word was omitted from its nomenclature. The woody, tough stalks of Stereocaulon paschale are often only sparsely covered by the fuzzy tomentum which is a primary characteristic of the family of Stereocaulons, and when this lichen colonizes on soil or mossy rocks, it does so abundantly. This specimen was found on the Kautz Creek trail.
No comments:
Post a Comment