Identification: Powdery lichen

Found them on a spruce trunk.
Only notice that there is a yellow clump among the greyish greens.
Looks powdery to the naked eye. Kindly ID please.

 

This is also a Cladonia species.
The yellow clump is Xanthoria or Candelaria - larger sample to show more details would be needed.

 

Thanks a lot. Will get that on Monday if I can relocate the tree.

 

Is this common on hardy hibiscus? My shrub’s stems are mostly covered by something that looks similar. Is it possible that they have a positive relationship?

Also there are large clumps of miss which when I peel off, reveals damage to the bark.... would you know if it is best for me to remove the large clamps or to leave the plant undisturbed?

 

Here’s a pic of the other lichen which I think may be ok to leave alone:

 

Hi Polar,

Lichens do not harm the shrubs and trees they grow on. I think it is likely the same for mosses, but it would be better for a moss person to chime in on that one. Removing lichen or moss from a tree or shrub seems unlikely to be a useful thing to do, and possibly could cause a vulnerability for the plant due to the change of normal conditions, but do keep in mind that this latter idea is my own speculation. It would be interesting to hear from someone with expertise from the plant and bryophyte forums on this topic.

The symbiotic partnership that is a lichen is complex and there are many aspects that are not yet or well known: Lots of great cutting edge science going on here! Since lichen species are often quite picky about the type of tree/shrub they grow on, I think it is entirely likely that we have more to discover about these relationships as well.

Having said that, if for example a tree or shrub is damaged or dying, eg from fungal or viral causes, in a way that causes defoliation, sometimes lichen will spread to take advantage of the increased space for photosynthesis. This has often been misinterpreted by some to be damage caused by the lichen.

For your lichen twig photos: I can't see enough detail for a proper ID but in general it looks like this twig has a Physcia, a Hypogymnia, a Xanthoria and a Melanelixia or Melanohalea.

cheers :-)
frog

 

I prefer to have lichen and moss on branches.
They make your picture more lively and natural looking.
It also shows you are living in a clean air environment.

 

Fascinating! Thank you for your reply!!!