Finding Lichens

Right here along our old stone fencerow we have lots of lichen-covered boulders, and a few logs and old beans, also lichen-covered.  In addition every now and then I find interesting lichens on our hikes, though I don't usually carry my macro lens to capture close-ups.  Here are a few of the interesting ones I've seen the past few weeks.

I don't actually stop to look too closely as I walk by boulders like this.  I just notice the general interesting pattern, so easily visible at this time of year.

Even when you do look closely, you may not appreciate the details, at least with my vision!  But you can tell it's not a uniform pattern.

But if you get really close, you find these interesting tiny fruiting bodies, like open cups, some even with a bit of water sitting in them.  Generally these lichens are more or less flat on the rocks.

On the old wooden beams we have sitting out there, a different type of lichen has spread.  I noticed this patch of pinkish colour in the otherwise bluish lichen, though the actual growth form doesn't look different.

And here's a really close look at that pattern.

Other lichens form a little forest of thin stems.  I'm not sure I've ever really seen this one closely before.

This one, found on our Spirit Rock hike the week before last, is quite different.  I has wider flat 'leaves', brown on top, and white underneath, but the white shows as the lichen leaves curl up.  It seems to grow on top of the moss.

And I found another huge patch of Pixie Cups along our fencerow, of course growing in a position that was really awkward to photograph!

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