#peltigera venosa
Peltigera venosa
Fan lichen
I have never wanted chocolate chip cookies more in my entire life than I do after staring at P. venosa. This lichen has small overlapping or larger fan-shaped lobes. The upper surface is bright green when moist, and a dull gray when dry. Apparently there is also a darker blue-green morphotype with smaller, scale-like lobes, but I couldn’t find any pictures of it. This variation is dependent on the presence of a green algae photobiont or a blue-green cyanobacterial primary photobiont. It appears that the green algae associated morphotype is more common, though apparently they can grow in the same patch! The lower surface is pale with prominent veins and dark spots called cephalodia which contain a secondary, cyanobacterial photobiont. It produces large, circular apothecia along the leaf margins which are flat, smooth, and dark brown in color. P. venosa grows on moist, mossy soil at high elevations in the northern hemisphere. One of many Peltigera lichens, this one is the easiest to identify due to its characteristic leaf shape, venation on the lower surface, and distinctive apothecia. So go out there and find them! And maybe make some chocolate cookies and bring them by my place please? Thanks.
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