The rest of the maple leaves all seem normal, but this one is pretty strange. What is that white goop that's all over the leaf? There are two more photos here on my blog:http://gabriolan.ca/2008/12/03/strange-thing-attacked-leaf/ Any ideas?
Aha! I found the answer at last, though just by chance. It's Lobaria pulmonaria, which is also called lungwort. Who knew? Links to further info are at http://gabriolan.ca/2008/12/10/pulmonaria/ , though I suppose you could just as easily google the name and find all you want. My problem is that while I <em>do</em> know how to find more information about a plant whose name I know, I'm pretty lost when I don't know the name of the mystery plant. *sigh*
Glad you got it. I saw some really large Lobaria (on a bigleaf maple) at the site of the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden a few months ago.
Just to continue the Aha - finally learned what a lichen was, got into learning about mosses, and ended up with a lesson in greek language.... it's sometimes kinda cool to have a brain that goes on skewed trains o thought...
"Aha" indeed! Learning about pulmonaria made me want to know lots more about lichens. I bought the amazing Lichens of North America book. It's massive, and full of detailed information and great photographs. From the book I've learned that there are several different kinds of lungworts - eight, I think - in North America. I still think the one I found was lobaria pulmonaria, though I note that some other lungworts live in my region, too, including the similar-looking lobaria linita (cabbage lungwort). Today is the annual Christmas bird count on Gabriola Island. The birders are out gazing skyward, counting the birdies. Meanwhile, I'm staring at trees, rocks, and fallen logs, noticing all the different sorts of lichen we've got. I can identify a few now, but there seem to be zilions more!
And you were probably able to identify both the tree and the lungwort without having to hunt through books and websites! I envy your expertise, Daniel.
One thing I really enjoy about "lichen hunting" is that unlike mushroom forays, we can find lichenized fungi at almost anytime of the year. ...Also, unlike many fungi walks, folks don't get distracted/obsessed by edibility issues :-) whee! -frog
Well, I'm envious that you live on Gabriola and I don't, so maybe we're even! ;-) My photography travel plans for this upcoming year are to explore more of BC, and I think a visit to Gabriola is on the menu -- it's the largest southern Gulf Island that I've yet to visit at least once.
Happy new year to all. In medieval times there was a principle in what was called "sympathetic medicine" that an item that was reminiscent of an organ was in some way medically good for that organ. I don't have any opinion as to the truth of this principle, (though I know of stranger things that are true) but as Gabriolan mentioned that this was used in three widely distant places for similar ailments, it could be that it is this principle that similar is good for similar that is widespread and is not necessarily an indication of widespread observations of medical effectiveness of the lichen. There is also a plant that reminded ancients of lung tissue and its genus name is pulmonaria and is believed by some to be medicinal. Medicine aside, I'm curious if any lichens that are edible and tasty.
Hi Fish Dir - comments here might be of interest? Try that one again: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=43963
