A global community of nature enthusiasts
photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Sphaerophorus tuckermanii
Heavily branched lichen that closely resembles coral. Most gray with a greenish tinge. The structure in the second photo is actually an apothecium, much to my surprise. It is very globular, unlike most lichen apothecia.
Sharing a branch with a moss clump on a dead branch of a Sitka Spruce. Termination Point - Interior Trail
Lichens are actually composite organisms consisting of one or more photobionts (photosynthesizing partners, typically they have a green alga) and one or more species of fungi. The lichen takes the name of the primary fungus. Lichens in the Sphaerophorus genus have Cystococcus as the photobiont, a green alga.
Spotted on Jun 19, 2019
Submitted on Jul 30, 2019
No Comments