I'm excited to have seen and identified this Ramalina menziesii, Canopy Fishnet, on many trees along the interpretive walk at West Beach, at Deception Pass State Park in Washington. I certainly didn't figure out the ID from this interpretive sign. Old Man's Beard is Usnea longissima, now also called Dolichousnea longissima. Witch's Hair can be Alectoria sarmentosa or Imshaug's Witch's Hair Lichen (Alectoria imshaugii); neither of those seemed right. Fortunately, I found this thread: A few lichen images, with the link to Lichen Images. @Frog, this might interest you. I had to make a decision which forum to post this in, chose Pac NW natives.
Lovely finds Wendy! Yes I had seen the link you mentioned before, and thank you for sharing it as well. On the west coast of Vancouver Island I find R. menziesii intertwined with Usneas. Usneas can be a bit challenging to ID to species sometimes: U. longissima usually reveals itself in length and the multitude of similar-length short segments branching off the main strands. There is also a very hair-like Ramalina that can look a bit like Alectoria or Usnea. Regardless, lovely critters :-) Thanks for alerting me to your post! -frog
So I wonder if I just happened to get the Ramalina in focus, but there were the others as well. If I go there again, I'll have to pay closer attention. Thanks for mentioning that, @Frog.
OK, @Frog. Thanks. I made my point about its being native in the Pac NW, but I guess people are probably more likely to look for it in Lichens. I've moved it.
