Mycoblastus sanguinarius (L.) Norman Bloody heart lichen, blood lichen
Identification: Grayish white or grayish green, with tiny gray "warts." Occurs on the wood or bark of deciduous trees. This is a crustose lichen (a thin layer that almost looks like paint), but thicker than most. The apothecia (fruiting bodies) are shiny black dots less than ⅛″ (3.2 mm) across. There is a bright red zone underneath (the reason for the name "bloody heart lichen"), but you'll need to slice into it to see it. (I don't know what the red-brown region is on the photo at right—I don't think it is part of the lichen.) Online References:
Alan Silverside's Lichen Pages on LastDragon.org References:
Walewski, Joe, Lichens of the North Woods, Kollath+Stensaas Publishing, 2007, p. 100
Mycoblastus sanguinarius description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020. |
|