This has to be the hardest lichen I've ever tried to shoot! Pretty bad pic, but it is what it is. This is a thriving colony of Turban Lichen growing on old landscape timbers around a crepe myrtle tree. Lots of lichen varieties love old landscape timbers - apparently!
Turban Lichen (Cladonia peziziformis)
--Habitat: Old fields, road banks, open woods and mature forests
--Substrate: Bare soil banks, sometimes bark on logs and tree bases
--Isidia & Soredia: None
--Apothecia: Pale brown (light tan or caramel), lumpy, and spilling over tips of podetia; no cups present.
--Distinctive Features: Podetia tall (up to 1 or 2 cm) and twisted, with ribs, grooves and minute warts (but no soredia). Cortex patchy (areolate) on stalks, which are somewhat translucent where cortex (skin) lacking. Podetia simple or sparsely branched with all branches bearing turban-like tan apothecia. Squamules tiny and divided, almost crustose. Podetia and squamules are grayish-green, deeper green when wet.
--Notes: Cladonia peziziformis, is distinctive, with its twisted soredia-free stalks, turban-like brown apothecia, and tiny squamules. Cladonia cariosa is somewhat similar but the brown apothecia are not swollen and turban-like.
From the Franz Lichen Guide which is a free download in PDF format.
