Interesting Little Moss/Fungus ID

[JoeR]

Found this gem yesterday during my afternoon run, I think its stunning. So vibrant, picture certainly does no justice. Don’t know if it’s a moss or fungus though? It’s approximately the size of a quarter. I’d like to Incorporate it into an accent planting somehow.

I would be amazed if someone could ID it for me.

 

[CasAH]

Possibly British soldiers.

 

[JoeR]

Possibly British soldiers.

Yeah looks like it could be, not sure how to tell definitively though

 

[iHasaki]

I think this certainly is a kind of Lichen. You could check if one of the 'branch' is hollow. This points to the British soldiers as mentioned above.

 

[sdavis]

Found this gem yesterday during my afternoon run, I think its stunning. So vibrant, picture certainly does no justice. Don’t know if it’s a moss or fungus though? It’s approximately the size of a quarter. I’d like to Incorporate it into an accent planting somehow.

I would be amazed if someone could ID it for me.
View attachment 196205

Cladonia, a lichen

 

[JudyB]

I have seen these before, can they actually be kept in a pot situation?

 

[JoeR]

I have seen these before, can they actually be kept in a pot situation?

It’s British soldiers I’m pretty confident now.

As far as “keeping” them I don’t know, but so far they look as good as the day I collected them and I also found online places selling them for terrariums. So I think they can be kept.

 

[JudyB]

It’s British soldiers I’m pretty confident now.

As far as “keeping” them I don’t know, but so far they look as good as the day I collected them and I also found online places selling them for terrariums. So I think they can be kept.

I see them too out there in fairy garden land, wonder how often and how long the color lasts, and if there is a particular time of year they color up. Guess I'll have to research a bit on these.

 

[GrimLore]

Don’t know if it’s a moss or fungus though?

It is both - British Soldier Lichen. I have posted pictures of those here a long time ago.

I see them too out there in fairy garden land, wonder how often and how long the color lasts, and if there is a particular time of year they color up.

They grow good on decaying wood.
They water themselves with morning dew.
They require very little light...

If you do anything else to them they expire. Lichen is moss and fungus which feeds itself. Here they turn grey in the Winter and late Spring they green up a little and show throughout Summer if left out of light. In very dry places where there is little or no morning dew a VERY SMALL spray of distilled water will keep them happy.

They grow SLOW

Grimmy

 

[JudyB]

Good info @GrimLore thank you!

 

[JoeR]

I tucked em in with my VFT and they’ve been looking good since. Don’t know what else to do with them.

 

[GrimLore]

Don’t know what else to do with them.

They grow good on decaying wood.
They water themselves with morning dew.
They require very little light...

If you do anything else to them they expire. Lichen is moss and fungus which feeds itself. Here they turn grey in the Winter and late Spring they green up a little and show throughout Summer if left out of light. In very dry places where there is little or no morning dew a VERY SMALL spray of distilled water will keep them happy.

They grow SLOW

Yes you do

Grimmy

 

[Melospiza]

It is both - British Soldier Lichen. I have posted pictures of those here a long time ago.



They grow good on decaying wood.
They water themselves with morning dew.
They require very little light...

If you do anything else to them they expire. Lichen is moss and fungus which feeds itself. Here they turn grey in the Winter and late Spring they green up a little and show throughout Summer if left out of light. In very dry places where there is little or no morning dew a VERY SMALL spray of distilled water will keep them happy.

They grow SLOW

Grimmy

All true, except the plant part of a lichen is an Alga or cyanobacterium, not a moss. The fungus houses the algae in its tissue and provides them water. In return the algae produce food by photosynthesis.

 

[GrimLore]

All true, except the plant part of a lichen is an Alga or cyanobacterium, not a moss. The fungus houses the algae in its tissue and provides them water. In return the algae produce food by photosynthesis.

Well put it is actually a Alga and fungus creating Lichen - either way the care is as I stated I typed without reading in detail - oooooooooooops...

Grimmy