Lichen

Lichen Diversity

Published by Daniel Mosquin on October 25, 2005

The boulder forming the substrate for these lichens was part of the Hope Slide forty years ago. Unless this rock was previously exposed as part of mountainside (which I doubt), forty years of lichen colonization and growth have led to this mosaic containing six species or more.

Rhizocarpon geographicum

Published by Daniel Mosquin on October 9, 2005

Yellow map or world map lichen is frequently used in lichenometry, a geobotanical technique employed to estimate the age of exposure of a rock surface.

Lobaria pulmonaria

Published by Daniel Mosquin on October 5, 2005

Lobaria pulmonaria, or lungwort, is a lichen found widely around the world. I’ve not been able to track down a complete distribution for the species yet, but I’ve so far found references to: western North America, eastern North America, central and northern Europe, boreal forests of temperate Asia, and an interesting outlier, India (with its […]

Letharia vulpina

Published by Daniel Mosquin on May 18, 2005

There are two recognized species (as of 2005) in the genus Letharia (the wolf lichens), and both can be found in western North America. This particular lichen was found growing at the trunk base of a Pinus ponderosa near Merritt, British Columbia.

Peltigera membranacea

Published by Daniel Mosquin on May 4, 2005

This is “membranous dog-lichen” interwoven with a species of beaked moss (likely Kindbergia oregana, but I could be convinced it is Kindbergia praelonga). The “pelts”, as members of the genus Peltigera are commonly known, are perhaps my favourite lichens. How can one find fault with their texture, colour and form? And how can one not […]

Lichen

Lichen Diversity

Rhizocarpon geographicum

Lobaria pulmonaria

Letharia vulpina

Peltigera membranacea

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