Life List Lichen - Hypogymnia Duplicata

Day 93: The days or weeks after a windstorm are great times to go lichen hunting. That wasn't really on my mind when I set out for a walk on a nearby trail, but when I saw how much debris had come down out of the canopy, I said to myself, "Hmmm...I've found Kidneys on this trail before. I'd better keep my eyes open." As always I had the camera around my neck, but after I had taken a few pictures of nothing in particular, the battery indicator began flashing. To conserve what little charge was left, I decided to use it only if I found something of note. When I came across this lichen, I dismissed it as an atypical specimen of Hypogymnia imshaugii which I have found on the trail previously, and didn't bother to take a photo because it was so tangled. A quarter mile further on, I found H. imshaugii, and a niggling suspicion began fomenting in my brain. I could have circled back right then, but did not do so. Instead, I came home and uploaded the photos to the computer, and looking at H. imshaugii, realized that the earlier lichen had been H. duplicata instead. I replaced the battery in the camera with another which was nearly dead as well, and returned to the site, driven by the fact that Hypogymnia duplicata was a Life List lichen for me. This photo is now in the WTU image database, and I am a happy camper. Did I find Kidneys? You'll have to wait for my next post to find out.

Exidia Recisa, Amber Jelly Roll

Day 102: I do love it when something new and interesting pops up right in my own back yard! My pussywillow tree had grown way too tall and in any event, wasn't doing very well, so we hacked it back in late autumn, hoping that a last-ditch effort might save it. It does seem to be showing signs of life, but even more exciting was my discovery this morning of Exidia recisa (Amber Jelly Roll fungus) growing on one of the dead branches. This particular species is distinguished by its preference for willow. The only similar species typically grows on birch or other broadleaved trees, but never on Salix. That information made the task of identifying it much simpler than it might have been. Two photos were duly submitted to the WTU herbarium image gallery, bringing my total contribution up to 220 photos encompassing 123 taxa. And here I thought this was going to be just another boring, drizzly day!

A Pressing Need

Day 320: My needs are pressing these days, and I am grateful to a former Park volunteer for the gift of his plant press. "I think you'll get more use out of it than I will," he said as he handed it to me, and indeed I have flattened my share of vegetative matter in it, much of which was destined for the Park's herbarium. However, my most recent finds have been outside the Park and from areas where taking specimens is in no way restricted. In fact, some came from my own yard! The three currently contained within the press will be sent to WTU (otherwise known as the Burke Herbarium): Origanum vulgare, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Galeopsis tetrahit (shown above). When making a voucher specimen, the plant should be arranged to show as much of its morphology as possible. Some leaves should be turned over so the reverse can be seen. If it is in flower, the blossom should be carefully opened out to show the structures inside, taking care not to tear or distort tissues. If possible, a root should be included. It takes weeks or sometimes months for specimens to dry fully. It's a lengthy process, but the plant can be mounted when needs are not quite so pressing.

A Record Abundance

Day 309: Given the abundance of Lactuca taking over the roadsides of Pierce and Thurston Counties, you'd think it was highly unlikely to fall under the category of "discoveries." I'm not sure I want my reputation in the botanical community to rest long on a weed, but as humble beginnings go, at least I have a toe in the door.

First off, I was sure I had two species since the leaf shape was radically different from specimen to specimen. I took photos of both, expecting to be able to sort them out easily. Finding it much more difficult than I'd imagined, I sent the images off to my contact at the WTU Herbarium. He replied, "You'll have to examine the fruit. Leaf morphology can be highly variable with Lactuca." He went on to say that he thought that my plants were all Lactuca serriola, and added, "...but Ben Legler reported Lactuca virosa in Lewis County." Off I went to gather seeds.

Upon arriving home with a selection of mature fruits from various individual plants, I put them under the microscope and compared them to images of L. serriola and L. virosa. The two are visually distinct, and my specimens all appeared to be Lactuca virosa. I sent the microscope image back to David at WTU and his enthusiastic reply made my day: "Thanks for sending the great batches of photos! As usual, these will go up on Thursday. Your images of L. virosa are the first ever for the Image Gallery. We have images for 2,863 species, so adding a new species at this point is quite impressive! The leaf and inflorescence differences between L. serriola and L. virosa are nuanced and largely indistinguishable. The fruits are truly diagnostic."

It's a weed. It's just a weed. It's my claim to fame at the moment, although something else much larger is in the works!