Which of these do you lichen the most?
Vote part of national initiative
Nature P.E.I. is looking for your help in choosing an official provincial lichen.
Lichens are unusual organisms, more communities than species. Each lichen is made up of both algae and fungi. The algae photosynthesize like a plant, converting sunlight into energy. Fungi protect the algae and provide water and minerals.
"We are curious about lichens but we don't know much about them, and we hope that this initiative will raise awareness of this unique and important group of organisms," said Nature P.E.I. president Rosemary Curley.
Nature P.E.I. has created a short list of four lichens native to P.E.I. and is conducting a vote, both online and by mail. It will submit the result to the provincial government and ask it to declare a provincial lichen. It is part of a national initiative to recognize lichens across Canada.
The nominees are:
Bushy beard lichen
Usnea strigosa grows on the branches and trunks of white spruce and other conifers, as well as on deciduous shrubs and trees, including oaks. Among its bushy tendrils are round bristly discs of pale yellow or pink.
Pink earth lichen
As its name suggests, Dibaeis baeomyces grows on the ground, usually on disturbed soil where competition from moss, herbs, shrubs and other lichens is limited. It can often be found on road banks. Its distinctive feature is a pink cap on top of a half-centimetre stem.
Frayed ramalina
Ramalina roesleri grows mostly on trees but can also be found on rocks. It has a bush-like form, pale white to yellow-green. The main branches can be up to 2 millimetres in diameter and it has powdery growths at the tips.
Lungwort
Lobaria pulmonaria is found in shady locations on the trunks and branches of larger deciduous trees like maple and American Beech, and less commonly on conifers and mossy rocks. It is named for its ridges and depressions that look like lobes of a lung. It is tan to gray when dry but bright green when wet. Tan or gray lungwort can be identified by pouring water on it. It will turn bright green.