Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Lots of Lichens!

Nothing says the 'North Woods' like all the grey-green lichens draped over the lower branches of the Spruce trees.  I'm not sure I can identify many, but they somehow really appeal to me.

The Old Man's Beard tends to grow on the lower branches of the Spruce, under the canopy of the bigger trees.  It's much more common in the Maritimes than here, but I know I'll always see it at Sand Lake.

It's intriguing how the slender tendrils hang down nearly a foot from the branches.

Other lichens grow directly on the lower branches, both a scale like form, and twisted little antlers.

The rainfall the previous day certainly helped these lichens look alive rather than all dried out.

Down among the trees above the shoreline, the ground under other big old Spruce was carpeted with Reindeer Lichen, soft and flexible to walk over after the rain.  (I feel so guilty crunching it under foot when it's dry).

On top of an  old stump a carpet of very tiny British Soldiers rested, with their red caps.

All of these half an inch tall or less!  Tomorrow, some mushrooms.


11 comments:

  1. Interesting lichens. I love the pretty closeups. And I look forward to your mushrooms. :-)

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  2. The lichens are beautiful though unusual. Great photos.

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  3. Absolutely amazing!!! I was just wishing for some hanging moss...we don't have any...for my dragon. Not to leave you hanging, I am making a dryad/dragon from a found tree. I think she needs that kind of moss. So I'm not completely crazy nor do I have a real dragon.

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  4. I'll have to look the next time in the bush for different lichens.

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  5. British Soldiers is a great name.

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  6. Wonderful photos . It all looks like some type of sea creatures . Never seen that here in our forest in our valley must be something to do with the cooler temps up there could be the climate is different . Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !

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  7. Excellent images. We have lots of mosses and lichens in our wood too.
    MB

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  8. They make for good photo opportunities!

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  9. These have always been intriguing to me.

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  10. Interesting looking and they make for great photos.

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  11. Nice photos of the lichens. They're very interesting plants, both for the algae-fungus association and the way they can colonize such inhospitable sites.

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