Cladonia Squamosa

Day 25: Squamous...that was what caught my eye: the sheer squamosity (and yes, that's a legitimate word) of this particular Cladonia. Oh, you're thinking I should define that in layman's terms. How about "scaly?" The squamules are the little leafy green bits and in Cladonias, and are usually found at the base with one or two notable exceptions. In those exceptions, they aren't distributed in a manner which allows the patchiness of cortex (skin) over medulla (inner portion) to be easily observed. Examination under a 40x hand lens revealed a few teeny-tiny brown apothecia (fruiting bodies) at the tips. Cladonia squamosa prefers the moist forests of the mid- and lowland areas of the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere in North America where it is widespread. Like most Cladonias, it exhibits a fondness for rotten logs, but within the genus, it is more sensitive to pollutants than some of its kin. It seemed to be enjoying the air circulation on a plateau 20 feet above Ohop Creek near its confluence with the Nisqually River.

Swallowtail Scales

Day 94: As I mentioned a few days ago, finding material for posts during the gloomy months of winter is no easy task, especially when I'd like to present a glimpse into the marvelous world of Nature. However, today it occurred to me to pull out my stereoscope for a closer look at a butterfly wing. Where did I get my subject matter? I have a small collection preserved in a Riker mount, traffic fatalities otherwise undamaged by impact.

It might surprise you to know that butterflies are both hairy and scaly. Both types of structure afford protection from predators. The hairs are a tactile deterrent (imagine a bird with a speech balloon above its head reading, "Ew! Furry!") whereas the scales shed readily if the butterfly runs afoul of a spiderweb. You might think of butterflies as being brightly coloured, but in fact, their striking hues are not due to pigments but to refraction of light within the microstructure of the scales. The feathers of Steller's Jays and many other bird species give the impression of being coloured, but in fact, most birds are brown despite how they appear to human eyes. The same principles apply to the wings of a butterfly. Mother Nature will have her little jokes on us, fooling us into believing we're seeing reds and blues where none exist. It's enough to make you wonder if anything is as we perceive it.

Footnote: I had this photo ready to go, but just happened to notice a feature in the new PaintShopPro called "text cutter." I couldn't resist experimenting. The letters were cut from the butterfly wing in the photo with just a few clicks!