Day 125: My yard sports a wide variety of lichens, and as I discovered upon close study of my split-rail fence, I have a good sampling of Cladonia species. This is C. coniocraea, Common Powderhorn. It can be told from its cousin C. ochrochlora by examining the lower half of the podetia (stalks) to see if they are smooth or grainy (sorediate). The common name "Smooth-footed Powderhorn" tells you what to expect of the latter, and in the case of my garden, both species share at least one cedar rail. The tiny cups at the tips of the podetia are another distinguishing macro feature which help identify this lichen. It pays to take a closer look at what you may have in your yard. It may have more diversity than you imagine!
No comments:
Post a Comment