Licheomancy™

The Guardian publishes a large and super-colorful review of this book 'The amazing world of fungi – in pictures' (www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...) More than 20 absolutely stunning pictures of different fungi (mainly from Southern hemisphere), and yes, luckily the one of them is of lichens

Physcia jackii and Teloschistes sieberianus #lichens growing in Australia; these are not my pics but of Stephen Axford, from the recently published book 'Planet Fungi' (by Australian mycologist Tom May). I assume it's mainly about 'fungi' and lichens pop-up only occasionally

2025 Photomicrography Competition View the winning entries from the 2025 Photomicrography Competition

ps: link to all the winners www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/20...

Compared to all these micro-photo champions, own pics look pretty bleak, of course. Oh, well. Let's chose to be inspired and not demotivated ^_^ This is Trentepohlia aurea, or Orange 🧡 Rock Hair, in full bloom (it's not #lichen but alga)

Alas, no #lichen among the finalists of the Nikon's SmallWorld microphotography contest :(

№ 13 is a pretty stunning image of Arcyria major (it's slime mold) releasing spores, by Henri Koskinen from Helsinki U. yet another slime mold - Cribraria purpurea - got IoD (Image of Distinction) award

A tiny Ramalina #lichen (could be R. farinacea, difficult to say because it's too young). The bright orange spots in the background are created by Trentepohlia aurea alga

wow! 🔮

It’s a fairly common Xanthoria parietina (aka Common Sunburst #lichen), though this particular specimen seems to be infected by a certain lichenicolous fungus - which could explain its discoloration and tiny dark spots; perhaps Lichenoconium xanthoriae?

This is a more zoomed-out view of how the lichen grows

Cladonia #lichen (I think it's C. caespiticia, or Stubby-stalked Cladonia)

One more Cladonia #lichen - possibly Cladonia floerkeana

Also Cladonia (possibly Cladonia chlorophaea, or Mealy Pixie Cup #Lichen - intermixed with 'other' Cladonias)

Cladonia #lichen (possibly Cladonia macilenta aka Lipstick Powderhorn Lichen)

It resembles Peltula, eg Peltula euploca. The lichen doesn't grow here in NL but I've seen it in Switzerland - and mainly on rocks

Bright yellow foliose lichen - likely Candelaria concolor - with its tiny frilly lobes covering dark tree bark

Bright yellow patches of Candelaria concolor {aka Candleflame #Lichen}; the close-up picture reveals its almost coral-like surface

Not #lichen (definitely not lichen :) It's a moss, and a very common one. So common that it used to be called just Bryum capillare (from Greek βρύον, brýon - literally 'moss'). It was later split into Rosulabryum capillare, and most recently to Ptychostomum capillare {πτύχη στόμα, folded mouth}

Cladonia, natürlich

This is how Hypogymnia #lichen *usually* look

A patch of pale foliose lichen (Hypogymnia physodes) on weathered wood, with unusual bluish-grey hue of the lobes, instead of more common pale green

This is Hypogymnia (Tube #Lichen), most likely Hypogymnia physodes, showing an unusual bluish-grey hue on the lobes (instead of more common pale green). No idea why this happened; one possible explanation is the metal sign planked above it (you see its green edge in the picture)

A patch of pale grey foliose lichen growing on a moss pad, mainly Hypotrachyna, though other lichens are also visible

Close-up view of the lichen, with lobe tips densely covered in coarse, granular soredia

A patch of Hypotrachyna (aka Loop #Lichen, possibly H. revoluta) growing on a moss pad on bark; it’s *mainly* Hypotrachyna, though other lichens are present too. The second close-up shows the lichen’s lobes covered with soredia

#Lichen potpourri

A tree branch covered by a vivid green film of filamentous algae (genus Klebsormidium), forming irregular patches

Close-up view of Klebsormidium algae, with fine green filaments creating a loose, net-like texture on the bark surface

This may *look* like a #lichen, but it’s in fact a filamentous mat of green algae (Klebsormidium) on bark. In theory it can be a lichen photobiont, but in practice that rarely happens (if at all). I believe we still don’t quite understand why some algae become lichen partners while others don’t

Close-up of tree bark covered by a bright green crustose lichen, cracked into irregular 'plates'

This is a 'borrowed knowledge', I look at the maps of the Italian lichenological community and they tend to ID it as Psilolechia lucida (aka Sulphur Dust Lichen)

Pale green-grey foliose lichen growing on tree bark, likely Physcia adscendens, with its characteristic hood-like tips of lobes and white rhizines

Physcia adscendens {Hooded Rosette #Lichen}, with, well, the 'hoods' at the ends of its thallus lobes, and characteristic rhizines (they are *not* roots, more like hooks to anchor lichen to the surface)

Well, #lichens; mainly jewellery-like Lecanora but also a few more

Bright yellow Xanthoria #Lichen; a miniature made of golden cups, flakes, and folds on ash-grey bark

Close-up of a tree branch with a pale yellow-grey crustose lichen, dotted with many small black apothecia; most likely Lecidella

I'd go for Lecidella #Lichen; in the absence of chemicals the holy war between the Church of Lecidella and the Church of Buellia will stay unresolved

Close-up of tree bark with a crustose lichen, many thin black scribble-like fruiting bodies (lirellae) scattered across the cracked pale surface; possibly Alyxoria varia

Here in NL I'd go for Alyxoria culmigena (in Dutch known as Rivierschriftmos, literally River script-moss); but I saw this one in Italy so it's most likely Alyxoria varia (aka Bark Scribble #Lichen)

Also nice #lichen, one of Peltigera

Lecanora campestris #lichen