Aspicilia filiformisGod I love that the description I found for this lichen as “creeping.” Creeping
Aspicilia filiformisGod I love that the description I found for this lichen as “creeping.” Creeping suggests movement–and considering how sloowwwly lichens grow, it might just be the slowest creep ever. A. filiformis grows in terete, filiform lobes in tangled mats on detritus, soil, and old grass mounds. The surface is brown, gray-green or olivaceous, turning black toward the forked lobe tips (described as looking like little snake tongues which is so precious). Apothecia are rare and small, with a flat or slightly sunken dark reddish-brown or black disc. So far, this creepy, snakey pal has only been found in shrub-steppe and grassland habitats in the western U.S. One of my favorite ecosystems! Unassuming but teaming with a wealth of highly adapted life forms! Like A. filiformis, who I have probably seen before and just assumed they were a dead tumbleweed or something. Oops, sorry pal. images: source | sourceinfo: source -- source link
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