#hypocenomyce

Xylopsora caradocensis (syn. Hypocenomyce caradocensis)

This boy is cute as hell. His chubby little puff-paint squamules, his squiggly little apothecia, his khaki coloration. I just think he's neat. X. caradocensis is a squamulose lichen that grows on conifers in the high elevations around the upper-montane or subalpine belt. According to records on GBIF, it can mainly be found in Europe, but there are a few records of it occurring in western North America and Central Asia that could use verification. Get out there and look for this guy!

images: source | source | source

tbhhhh... I don’t really even have a favourite lichen but one that I’ve been thinking about recently is Hypocenomyce scalaris. It’s made up of these tiny lil adorable scales and is often found on charred wood.