(yellow) Teloschistes exilis Bastrop, TX March 26, 2009 When Kenny and I went to Central Texas during Spring Break of 2009, I was amazed at the incredible variety of lichens I saw on the trees and rocks! There were lots of twigs on the ground with mixtures of lichens on them due to a wind storm earlier that morning.
Great Smoky Mountains NP Feb. 22, 2009 These flat-branched lichens are commonly found growing on tree bark. Larger specimens have round, flat apothecia on the ends of the branches. The scientific names of some of the lichens are fun to say, like "Ramalina"!
- a fruticose lichen Great Smoky Mountains NP Feb. 21, 2009 Unlike its close relative, Usnea strigosa, this lichen does not have the large apothecia and it is not as "fuzzy". A fun fact about the Usnea species is if you carefully pull apart a large branch you will see a white central "cord", a good identifying characteristic.
