British Soldiers Lichen

Description:

It is characterized by its erect hollow branches that end in distinctive red fruiting bodies.

Habitat:

I spotted this lichen growing on a post in the middle of a meadow at Bent of the River Audubon.

Notes:

British Soldiers grow very slowly - only 1-2 millimeters each year. A lichen is not just one organism, but is made of fungus and algae, living together to form a new organism. The fungus in British Soldiers is called Cladonia cristatella. The algae is Trebouxia erici. Because lichens take the name of the fungus part of the relationship, British Soldiers are classified as Cladonia cristatella.