Day 142: Matchstick lichens are relatively uncommon, and only two species occur in the Pacific Northwest. Both of them can be found within a five-minute walk of the Longmire Administration Building. They are among the first to colonize freshly broken rock such as that shattered in laying roads or building trails. Pilophorus acicularis (Devil's Matchstick, top) can often be found growing on vertical surfaces, its hair-like podetia topped by shiny black, almost round apothecial knobs. Pilophorus clavatus (Tapered Matchstick) presents apothecia which are longer and more club-like than those of its cousin. Both species are quite small (usually under an inch long) and may be difficult to spot even when the viewer is in close proximity.
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