Day 78: Meet Evernia prunastri, namesake for the Christmas Faerie featured in yesterday's post. This exquisite lichen is notable for its soft, supple thallus, very pliable to the touch yet able to retain its graceful form without appearing limp. Its flexibility separates it from the Ramalinas when observed in the field. It is largely a West-coast species although a few have been catalogued from East-coast locations. Known also as "oak-moss," this lichen is used commercially in Europe as a fixative for perfumes. Its relative scarcity in the United States prevents its exploitation by the industry for reasons of cost-effectiveness.
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