libutron:brian-my-left-testicle:urbpan:ktsaurusr3x:libutron:brian-my-left-testicle:Do you know what
libutron:brian-my-left-testicle:urbpan:ktsaurusr3x:libutron:brian-my-left-testicle:Do you know what kind of plant this is, libutron? I found it on a tree in Fredericton, New Brunswick (Canada). It was in October, I think, of last year. It almost looks like sea weed. It was in a forest along a logging trail.Wow what beautiful pictures!. In an overview I think it is a lichen genus Lobaria, perhaps Lobaria pulmonaria, but I’ll check to confirm.urbpanCommentator above appears to be correct. I’ve never seen a Lobaria lichen in person–you have to get to some pretty pristine habitat to see it.I found it in a forest across the road from a logging place. People come to this forest for hunting (which is why I was there). I think it is pretty cool that I found a rarely seen lichen!Hey brian-my-left-testicle, after doing a basic review of the scientific literature, I can confirm you that this is a Lobaria species; it is likely to be Lobaria pulmonaria, although it is not easy to distinguish it from other similar species, such as Lobaria linita (both species can be found in North America).Lobaria pulmonaria is commonly known as Tree Lungwort because the surface of its leaf-like thallus consists of a series of ridges and hollows, and also because it grows on trees. It is one of the largest lichens. Unlike many lichens which are generally very slow in their growth, tree lungwort is one of the fastest species, growing at up to 4 mm per year, so that large specimens may be up to 50 years old.The tree lungwort is composed by three organisms, a fungus, a green algae, and also a cyanobacterium.Here you have two photos of Lobaria pulmonaria to compare. The first one is from from Slovenia and was taken by ©Amadej Trnkoczy; the second is from Sea Branch, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blount County, Tennessee (US), taken by ©Alan Cressler: -- source link