Parmotrema spp. Great Smoky Mountains NP Feb. 21, 2009 These black cilia are growing on the edges of the thallus of this lichen.
Munson, FL Dec. 26, 2008 I had seen this pretty lichen in a state park near Orlando, FL in 2000; I was surprised by the bright red color. The red hue comes from a chemical called chiodectonic acid. The lichen is used as a dye in Brazil.
Piney River Trail, Spring City, TN Thanks to the folks at the Lichen workshop I attended at the Tremont Institute in the Smoky Mountains (Feb. 2009), I finally learned what kind of lichen this is! Thanks, Jennifer! I have seen it often while hiking and thought it was unusual, but I never knew what it was. It grows on rocks, often interspersed with moss. Although it looks green it is not a plant, it is a lichen so it is classified in the Kingdom Fungi. The little brown knobs are the reproductive bodies called apothecia.
