#physconia

Physconia isidiigera

Western bottlebrush frost lichen

Physconia grumosa

P. grumosa has a foliose thallus that grows in irregular or rounded patches up to 15 cm across. It has narrow lobes with a gray-green to gray-brown upper surface, and the lobe ends are often covered in glittery or chalky pruina. It has distinctive marginal isidia which is small and granular in younger parts of the thallus, but can appear branched or coralloid, even becoming lobulate on older (central) lobes. The lower surface is covered in a thick mat of rhizines, and is black centrally, lightening to pale brown of white near the margins. It only rarely produces apothecia. P. grumsoa was originally described in Japan, but was later found to exist in scattered populations throughout the U.S. as well. It usually grows on hardwood trees, but will occasionally grow on rock. Notably, the population the sparked the interest of the lichenologist to analyze the extent of this lichen in North America was found growing on costal rocks in Alaska--as if it were just trying to get someone's attention! Like a little kid acting out so their parent will notice them. "Oooo, look at me, I'm growing where I am not supposed to. Doesn't that bother you? Don't you want to investigate to try and figure me out?"

images: source

Physconia leucoleiptes

Yellowish bottle-brush lichen, bottle-brush frost lichen

Physconia servitii

Physconia distorta

Distorta? I hardly know her!