Model Lichens

My husband took these fancy photos of some of the lichens I have collected for my project. Most of these specimens were found in the Quercus ilex dominated forests around the island. 

This is Xanthoria parietina var. parietina and it was found on a calcareous rock in Parc Natural de Llevant across the island from Palma.

Ramalina fraxinea

Usnea hirta

Check out that central cord on this Usnea articulata!

Peltigera canina

Ramalina farinacea

Ramalina fastigiata

Parmelia sulcata

Ramalina pusilla

Physcia biziana

It has been really interesting to note how many of these species are found in the Pacific Northwest of California. Species such as Usnea hirta, Peltigera canina, Ramalina farinacea, and many more.


Also, I apologize for the condition of some of these samples. Many have seen better days.  

There's a Fungus Among Us!

Here are a few pictures of some cool fungus I found on a hike in Valldemossa:

This wood rotter was found on a small Quercus ilex. It has a really cool poroid hymenophore. 

This spot had several of these puffballs...

Have to love Ascomycota!

I FOUND AN ORCHID!!!

I went to Valldemossa yesterday to get out of the city and do a little collecting for my lichens project. We went up a different trail than we usually do and I stumbled upon a pleasant surprise!I think I found either Ophrys dyris or Ophrys fusca. I think there is a better chance that it is O. fusca because, according to the Virtual Herbarium, it is very common and starts blooming in the winter and early spring. It is a very beautiful orchid but there are a lot of different species of Ophrys on the island that look somewhat similar. 

Check it out!

It kinda looks like it is imitating a fly don't you think?

Sporophytes

Some mosses starting to dry out and curl up their leaves to preserve water. 

I have no idea what these are but they look really cool close up. 

Look at all that Ramalina pusilla just covering the acebuche!

The town of Valldemossa, which appropriately means "Valley of the Mosses" in Catalan.  

There is a wide diversity of ferns but I unfortunately don't know much about ferns so I can't tell you what they are. 

Cladonia pyxidata looking quite squamulose. 

More Cladonia pyxidata. It is really common here. 

A cool shot of some kind of caterpillar on a wood rotting fungus with very cool lamellae. 

Three tall sporophytes

A moss on the verge of elevating it's sporophytes. Look at all those silvery awns!

A very small leafy liverwort that looked like a green film from far away. It was covering the soil of a cut cliff face. 

A close-up of the flowers of Erica multiflora.

A species of Parmelia.

Another species of Parmelia. 

Slimy little guy...

Peltigera membranacea looks so cool growing mixed in with the mosses. 

This stuff looks so awesome close up! Get me a microscope for my birthday por favor?!

Cladonia rangiformis mixed in with some mosses. 

Evernia prunastri

Another Parmelia species mixed in with what looks like some Frullania on a dead snag. 

Winter Blooms

The male flowers of the algarrobo (Ceratonia siliqua).

A common shrub in the area. 

The capsules of the above mentioned plant with seeds still inside. 

I am really upset because I can't figure out what this beautiful vine is!!!

Hmm...many stamens and stigmas.....four petals.....I don't know where this floral formula gets me!!!

This is Allium chamaemoly and I feel pretty lucky to have seen it because it is tiny and just barely sticks out of the ground. It flowers from November to March and I only saw two individuals!

Yes, these are as sharp as they look and they are all over the place! This prickly guy is Aspargus horridus, a quite appropriate name if I do say so myself. 

Lichens, Bryophytes, and Fungus...I Oh My!

This was covering the majority of the cement walls at the Bellver Forest and I think it is Buellia  canescens, but don't quote me on that!

Unknown little blue crustose lichen. This was the only place I saw this specimen. 

Unknown white and black crustose lichen that was very common on soil mixed in with bryophyte species. 

The common gelatinous cyanolichen Leptogium brebissonii.

I think this is the liverwort Fossombronia and it was all over the place! Did not have the luck to see any sporophytes with hyaline setae. 

And another crustose lichen on a rock. One day I will know what it is. 

This terricolous lichen is all over the place as well but I can't seem to figure out what it is!

A tiny epilithic crustose lichen.

Good 'ol Xanthoria parietina. This time on a rock!

Caldonia pyxidata without fruiting bodies. 

Cladonia pyxidata with fruiting bodies. 

So cool! A very cute lichen if I do say so myself. 

Is this gelatinous cyanolichen Collema nigrescens (which I'm pretty sure I did see but didn't collect! grrr) or is it just more Leptogium brebissonii.

The beauty that are bryophytes. 

A nice robust moss. Or musgo, in Spanish. 

Some kind of cute little Peziza.

Moss and a mushy. 

Moss and another mushy. 

Some Xanthoria parietina on an wild olive tree (Olea europea var. sylvestris). 

A crustose epiphyte that could be Lecanora dispersa.

More X. parietina. 

Crustosos!

Cladonia rangiformis just carpets the ground in some areas. 

Cladonia rangiformis

A nice shot of Ramalina pusilla. 

The tiny Physcia adscendens. 

Some Ramalina pusilla and a white and grey crusty.