Thursday, February 4, 2016

Platismatia Glauca, Ragbag Lichen


Day 114: Very common in forests comprised largely of Douglas fir, Platismatia glauca's limp, floppy lobes give it the common names of Ragbag or Varied Rag Lichen. Either way, the appellation sounds disparaging, but then those people who name lichens seem to sit up nights thinking of odd things to call them. I find this pale grey-green, lushly foliose species quite attractive. It has a tendency to fade to pinkish brown along the margins, the "art-deco" look translated to the woodland environment. If ever the faeries wanted material for ball gowns, they'd undoubtedly choose Platismatia glauca. For that reason alone, it deserves a better name than Ragbag.

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