365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Happy Campers
Day 21: Although most of us don't enjoy being out in the cold and wet, the lichen population heartily approves our sudden switch from summer to winter. They perked up in a matter of days, going from crisp and fragile to soft and pliable in an astonishingly short period of time. Lichens are amazingly resilient, sometimes springing back to life from a state where they are dry enough to crumble into powder between your fingers. Many species have begun to fruit, their apothecia readily apparent. Here are examples from four of the genera common to my yard: Platismatia (aka Ragbag), a Cladonia species, Usnea and one of several Hypogymnias which grow in abundance on the cedar fence. Happy campers, these! They won't grumble about chilly nights and soggy moss-beds. They'll revel in them!
Labels:
Cladonia,
Hypogymnia,
lichens,
Platismatia,
Usnea
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment