Day 39: Another puzzle submitted to me by my sister-of-the heart Patty resolved itself after some reconstitution of the subject matter in a sealed container with a piece of wet paper towel. You have to love lichens for their resiliency! While Patty was in Maine recently, she sent photos which led me to a tentative identification in this case of Cladina mitis, Green Reindeer Lichen. What I was not expecting was that she would also submit a physical specimen so I could take a closer look. When it arrived in the mail a few days ago, it had withered substantially, as had a small sprig of an Usnea. Examining it under the 'scope, it was hard to tell how many podetial tips were present, curled in on themselves as they were, but I did observe what I thought was the "gaping hole" between the tips, making me wonder if it might be Cladina stellaris instead (pointer shows the hole). However after further moisturizing, the tips have opened out into threes, ruling C. stellaris out. Given the other physical characteristics, I'm reverting to my initial identification of Cladina mitis. As for the Usnea, the jury is still undecided, but I believe it is U. filipendula, Fishbone Beard Lichen, one of the generic category of "Old-Man's Beard" lichens.
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