Day 111: It makes me feel good to know that at least some of my readers are enjoying my lichen posts. In fact, one of them expressed an interest in seeing Devil's Matchstick, and since this species is a personal favourite, I'm glad to oblige.
Pilophorus acicularis is a "pioneer" lichen. It prefers to colonize freshly exposed non-calcareous rock, and in so doing, contributes to its breakdown. It is also a nitrogen-fixer. The podetia (stalks) are thread-like, usually no more than an inch long, and are topped by shiny black apothecia (fruiting bodies). This particular colony is lush, growing on the vertical face of a boulder broken during road construction ("freshly exposed" is a relative term...the road was cut years ago). It is one of two species of Pilophorus I've found in Longmire. A handy snowbank served as my tripod for this shot, but you'll have to take my word on the size. There was nowhere to mount my penny-on-a-stick to give perspective. However, if you look in the upper left quadrant, you can see two brown fir needles for comparison.
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