Fungi on Willow

[GerryNick2]

Came across what appeared to be an old specimen at the weekend growing on a fallen Willow. Would be happy if someone could point me in the right direction with regard to an ID.

Regards
Gerry

[Gerel]

Hi

It's a lichen, possibly one of the Peltigera species.

Regards

Steve

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by Gerel

Hi

It's a lichen, possibly one of the Peltigera species.

Regards

Steve

certainly a Peltigera sp. no obvious fruit-bodies so will have to stay at the genus level, I think

Chris

[GerryNick2]

Thanks for the ID Steve/Chris, never crossed my mind that it might be a lichen, must pay more attention.
A bit of research certainly confirms that is a 'Dog Lichen' Peltigera Sp. praetextata is a possibility as I believe this species has an association with Willow, but without closer examination will probably never know for sure.

Gerry

[poschiavanus]

If Peltigera species have any kind of association it's with the mosses, not the tree species. P. praetextata has isidiate margins: picture not close enough to say yeah or nay. I 'll stick with Chris's diagnosis.

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by GerryNick2

. . . never crossed my mind that it might be a lichen, must pay more attention. . . .

hi Gerry

one of the reasons that it might not have struck you as a typical lichen is that in a sense it isn't . . . it doesn't often have the dry, crusty texture which most people associate with lichens, and is more affected by the weather

the 'algal' associate of Peltigera (and indeed Collema and other 'gelatinous' lichens) is actually a cyanobacterium (what the media still call 'blue-green algae' but which are fundamentally very different from the varied groups of true algae) see:

Nostoc for some (I think ) interesting stuff

here is a photo I took of a terrestrial 'bloom' of Nostoc on a very interesting former industrial area in Scarborough (100s of Pyramidal Orchids nearby); the rabbit pellets give the scale:


weird stuff

cheers

Chris

[GerryNick2]

Interesting stuff Chris, now that the fungi are a bit thin on the ground I can see I will have to start pointing the camera at Lichen and start on a new learning curve.

Regards

Gerry