Brown-eyed Sunshine Lichen

Description:

A loosely attached foliose lichen with erect lobes giving it a fruticose impression. The thallus surface is bright yellow. The apothecia is a contrasting dark brown 1 to 4 mm disc. Even though this is a fairly common lichen on the east side of the Cascades its one of the few times I've found it still attached to the tree. I usually find it on the ground after the wind has blown.

Habitat:

Spotted on a vine maple. Usually found on bark of conifers though sometimes on hardwoods like this one. Range is western North America from British Columbia to California.

Notes:

The bright yellow color comes from pinastric and vulpinic acids - two substances only found in lichens that are believed to repel the insects and other wildlife that might eat it.