A lichen is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species. Lichens have properties different from those of their component organisms. They come in many colors, sizes, and forms and are sometimes plant-like, but in fact lichens are not plants. It is estimated that there are about 20,000 species of lichens in the world, including over 2000 in Canada.

Not being a lichenologist, or any other kind of ologist, these identifications are the best I'm able able to establish through book reference and internet searches.

Since the Habitat Site Report does not include any lichens, all species headings are shown in Bold Italic.

Lichens Identified

Powdered Orange Lichen
Pincushion Orange Lichen
Mustard Powder Lichen
Hoary Rosette Lichen

Unidentified Lichens

Unidentified Orange-Brown Lichen
Unidentified Tan Lichen on Oak Bark
Unidentified Lichens (Other)

Click on Images to Enlarge

Powdered Orange Lichen

Oxneria fallax OR Xanthoria fallax OR Xanthomendoza fallax

Native, also known as Hooded Sunburst Lichen

These photos may be of Powdered Orange Lichen, a type of foliose (leaf) lichen found on trees, dead wood, and sometimes rocks. An alternative is Pincushion Orange Lichen (see below) with no fruiting bodies visible.

Powdered Orange Lichen nested on fungal damage.

Pincushion Orange Lichen

Xanthoria polycarpa

Native, also known as Pincushion Sunburst Lichen

This one is likely Pincushion Orange Lichen. The fruiting bodies in the close-up below are the indicator.

Close-Up showing the fruiting bodies. It also shows a little bit of yellow lichen.

Mustard Powder Lichen

Chrysothrix candelaris.

Native, also known as Gold Dust Lichen

This is likely Mustard Powder Lichen.

This colony is peppered with a little Powdered Orange or Pincushion Orange.

Close-Up

Hoary Rosette Lichen

Physcia aipolia

Native.

This specimen is likely Hoary Rosette Lichen, a foliose (leaf-like) type of lichen. However, our deciduous forests are the home to a few other species which look quite similar, including Hooded Rosette Lichen and Star Rosette Lichen.

A well-formed specimen, with many fruiting bodies visible.

Unidentified Orange-Brown Lichen

I had previously classified the very interesting growth on this Trembling Aspen log as a mold (fungus), but am reclassifying it as a lichen on the basis of the last photo. The growth is dry, and possibly flaky. It appears to have been larger at one point, having expanded from a central point, and then to have dried. Cracks then formed, and sections of the growth apparently broke off.

I've seen only one such example in the forest, and you can easily walk by it without noticing it, as I found on two repeat attempts to locate the log for closer photos.

Close-Up

Closer-Up

The growth is actually cream-coloured underneath, with a orange-brown surface composition.

This photo suggests that the lichen may have been larger at one time.

On the other hand, this photo suggests that it doesn't grow on the bark, but grows on the exposed sapwood.

Under high magnification, the structure of the orange-brown component appears to be crystalline. This clue suggests that the specimen is in fact a lichen. Assisted by algae, fungal cells in lichens produce large amounts of lipid, and secrete them out of the cells. Some of the secreted lipids crystallize.

Unidentified Tan Lichen on Oak Bark

This foliose lichen is distinctive in that it is made up of clusters of tan-coloured elongated "flowers" composed of a thin material arranged in an arc-shaped to circular cross-section.