magpie

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[–] magpie@mander.xyz 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Member of Parmeliaceae, not sure what exactly.

Not sure why phone manufacturers are forcing this level of automatic post processing when most people just want a mostly clear/focused photo. Not sure if that what is going on but sometimes I am really surprised by the photos my phone gives me

[–] magpie@mander.xyz 2 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Really interesting to see that little goat trail devoid of lichen in the second photo. I assume this is the path most people and animals tread when walking up the slabs.

[–] magpie@mander.xyz 2 points 2 weeks ago

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[–] magpie@mander.xyz 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I should have put soralia/soredia. Soredia are the microscopic propagules, soralia are the round/bumpy structures on the ridges (at least in this photo) that produce and disperse the soredia.

[–] magpie@mander.xyz 2 points 2 weeks ago

Beautiful, I could have spend all day staring at those rocks.

[–] magpie@mander.xyz 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It varies a lot, some lichens are more sensitive than others. There are species you won't find in areas with poor air quality but some species will thrive in the the same conditions. I have even read about lichens growing in areas polluted by toxic slag.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/what-lichens-can-tell-us-about-climate-and-pollution-1.6989959

[–] magpie@mander.xyz 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

9ft would usually be accumulative over the course of a winter, it snows for 5 or 6 months in northern BC, but we did get 6ft in 2 days once and that was a shit show. I would give the Letharia dye another try, the last time I did it I don't think I used a mordant but you could use alum or something. I would skip the pressure cooker and just do a hot water bath, then you don't felt your wool socks down into little baby boots.

[–] magpie@mander.xyz 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

These guys are edible, you could definitely candy them but I would be hardpressed to find enough to make it worth the effort. No flavour to them but a fancy little mid-hike snack.

[–] magpie@mander.xyz 2 points 3 weeks ago

I did end up eating a few of these, they tasted like water but the texture was surprisingly pleasant.

[–] magpie@mander.xyz 3 points 3 weeks ago

Definitely magical and exciting to come across all sorts of fungi, take them home and learn about them. I often take friends and family out to find edible mushrooms and I end up picking the least amount of the edibles in the group because I like to fill my basket with mushrooms I have never seen.

[–] magpie@mander.xyz 2 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

We typically get a lot of snow, sometimes 9ft in a single winter or more but the last few years have been pitiful. This was at a slightly higher elevation (I am at about 500 metres). I often see people in washington and oregon find this mushroom throughout the winter, I thought it would be later for my area but not the beginning of June.

[–] magpie@mander.xyz 3 points 3 weeks ago

Haha, completely over my head

29
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by magpie@mander.xyz to c/Lichen@mander.xyz
 

Not sure how I managed to never hit this species with UV. I would describe the colour as a bright, hot, lipstick pink. I am unsure if this lichen is actually fluorescing or if something else to do with how the pigments show up under UV light - maybe @Sal@mander.xyz would know. Picture doesn't quite do it justice.

Another fun thing about this lichen is its role in dying as a photo oxidizing dye (POD). I have not dyed with this specific lichen but I believe the initial colour produced is a nice pink/mauve, when exposed to sunlight the garment will turn a sort of grey-blue colour. Unfortunately, the effect is not reversible so doesn't act as a 'mood-ring sweater'.

 

Probably the only Cladonia species I can (somewhat) confidently ID, if I'm wrong please let me know haha. I wish I had more time to sit down and brush up on my microscopy skills. I've come across this Cladonia field guide if any one is interested in a key to Cladonia. I will need to set some time aside to try it out. I have a few spots I frequent where Cladonia cakes every available surface.

 

Its been raining a lot here so lots of our lichens are brightly coloured and cheery.

 

I didn't know what this was when I first found it but I thought that it had mycoheterotroph vibes and snapped a photo. iNat confirmed it as Corallorhiza striata. I should have waited a couple days for the flowers to open. Very neat, I will be on the look out for more next season.

 

I'm not great with crust lichens (or ID in general haha) so don't know where to start with this one. This lichen was found growing on a pressure treated wood fence post so my first impression was that the colour might be the result of copper accumulation from the treatment chemicals. Its also likely (maybe more likely?) that its just a species I haven't come across yet. I haven't really started the ID process and I may not get to it for some time but I'd love to hear other people's thoughts. I didn't have my KOH on me but this area is one I frequent so I will bring it next time and see if I can't get a sample for the microscope.

 
 
 

Usually show up in the garden a couple weeks before they do in the woods.

 

Lecanora sp. centre (Hypogymnia physodes at the very top, Parmelia sp. at the very bottom) Found on spruce twig. Spot test with KOH - positive, yellow/green.

 

Growing on rotting spruce or pine stump next to a lake. Found so many species of Cladonia on our backroad excursion last week, I really wish I was better at ID'ing these. I did happen to find my first 'british soliders' type (not pictured) with the bright red apothecia, so that was exciting. I love the way some Cladonia form these little city-like landscapes with the towering podetia (the shrek-ear things).

Promise this is the last for tonight, I just didn't want to leave the community bare.

43
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by magpie@mander.xyz to c/Lichen@mander.xyz
 

Growing on birch bark, possibly in association with the bright-yellow powdery lichen, that might be Chrysothix? In the past, I have found this lichen growing on spruce with Chrysothix as well.

Photo taken with a cheap digital microscope so picture quality isn't the best but its okay. These little guys measured about 1mm tall. I would definitely suggest getting a handheld scope, I do use a 10x hand lens in the field but the digital scope is really handy and doesn't cause eye strain.

 

Found on a spruce twig in mainly spruce-doug fir forest. I was lucky enough to find plenty of windfall on the ground so grabbed a couple pieces for my collection. The bright yellow pigmentation is from vulpinic acid which makes this one of the few poisonous lichens in my area.

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