Hypogymnia Imshaugii

Day 41: Henry Imshaug lent his name to one genus and several species of lichen, including some which occur here in the Pacific Northwest.In 1941, Professor Imshaug and several of his colleagues performed mycological surveys in Mount Rainier National Park, noting at least one rare species of fungus which I have also had the privilege of observing. In fact, my botany partners and I were able to locate the site where Imshaug made his discovery and documented the species' current existence in the same location. Is it any wonder that Hypogymnia imshaugii has become one of my favourites because it bears his name? Also known as Forked Tube for its neatly branched lobes, it is relatively easy to identify if one of the puffy tubes is opened. The medullary ceiling (underside of the top layer) is white, distinguishing it from similar H. inactiva.