Pixie Cups

Day 100: While lichens have adapted to optimize ambient moisture, Cladonias such as this one demonstrate a wide variety to strategies for the task. Starting at the base, the overlapping, ruffled squamules (scales) not only gather moisture but direct it to the heart of the colony. The podetia (stalks) are covered in even finer, granular squamules, maximizing the surface area. Even minor amounts of dew/mist are husbanded, reducing the evaporation rate. Characteristic of the genus, the tips of many Cladonias are bowl-shaped, another adaptation for conservation of moisture. These structures give the lichens their common appellation of "Pixie Cups."

Cladonia Squamosa

Day 23: Sufficiently variable in form to confuse budding lichenologists, Cladonia squamosa is quite common on the west side of the mountains, most often found on rotting wood. A few points (or lack of them!) are helpful in narrowing down the species, if perhaps not the subspecies. Brown apothecia are uncommon, but if you're lucky, that will give you a starting point as will a dense layer of squamules (scales) on the short, squat podetia (stalks). These squamules dislodge fairly readily and often leave the white medulla exposed. The medulla darkens on exposure, so sometimes the lichen has a brownish tinge. Most diagnostic are the openings at the tips of the podetia (not obvious in this photo). Chemical testing is required to narrow down an identification to subspecies.

Cladonia Bellidiflora, Toy Soldiers

Day 48: You can have your holly and your mistletoe. I'll take my Christmas colours in Cladonia bellidiflora. This showy fruticose lichen puts on a spectacular display of red apothecia, giving rise to its common and appropriately seasonal name of Toy Soldiers. A similar species (C. cristatella) is only found east of the Mississippi River and its common name of British Soldiers is frequently misapplied to C. bellidiflora. Closer examination of the podetia will reveal one easily observable difference: bellidiflora's "stems" are abundantly covered with pale green squamules (scales) whereas cristatella's podetia are finely granular.

Bud Blancher's Cladonia Forest

Day 109: It was a year ago, during one of my first walks on the Bud Blancher Trail that I discovered several lush colonies of Cladonia bellidiflora growing on decaying logs and at the bases of three or four trees newly exposed to light from the north. At the time, I said to myself that this was a good opportunity for a field experiment, and made a mental note to monitor the lichens to see how they would react in the absence of shade. No significant changes were registered in 2015 despite a droughty summer, nothing beyond the normal reaction to dry weather. It remained to be seen if they would spring back when the rains arrived, so when I walked the trail a few days ago, I paid them a visit. I am happy to report that the colonies (all of them) are thriving.

Cladonia bellidiflora is quite common in the Pacific Northwest. It nearly always exhibits bright red apothecia (fruiting bodies), but the density of squamules (scales) on the podetia (stalks) may vary widely. Bud Blancher's specimens are not particularly squamulose.

Spotlight On Cladonia Bellidiflora

Day 46: C. bellidiflora is a fairly common Cladonia here in the Pacific Northwest, and perhaps its success is due to the abundant squamules which typically cover its podetia. Okay, I threw a couple of unfamiliar words out there and to save my readers from having to scramble to their dictionaries, I'll explain. A lichen's stems are called "podetia" (singular "podetium") and the squamules are the little leaf-like structures growing along them. These "leaves" allow the lichen to trap nutrient-laden moisture and conserve it in the dry season. "Apothecia" are the fruiting bodies of the lichen (in this species, bright red knobs). Cladonia bellidiflora is particularly showy, although generally, most people walk right by colonies unless the apothecia are readily evident and happen to catch a hiker's eye. It is one of several "lipstick" lichens you'll find in our forests, and in my experience, seems to have a preference for decaying cedar stumps and logs.

Lichen Architecture

Day 150: I've mentioned previously that lichens are particularly equipped to conserve moisture whether it's rain, dew or simply humidity, and no species typifies the amazing biological architecture of a water-retention system better than that of abundantly squamous Cladonia bellidiflora. The pale greyish-green squamules (scaly flakes) on the podetia (stalks) allow this Cladonia to make use of whatever moisture comes its way, even when the lichen is growing on a vertical plane such as the side of a downed log. We speak of animal and bird species as being "specialized," but lichens are one of the best examples of specialization in nature.