Textured lichen
Click for greater clarity and size.
To say textured and lichen at the same time is to be redundant, but I wanted to emphasize the fine details in this patch of lichen as well as the roughness of the tree bark it was on. Notice also the rosy color in the upper part of the lichen, which I don’t recall ever seeing before.
This photograph comes from the same December 18th walk in the Upper Bull Creek Greenbelt that brought you the preceding pictures of leafminer trails and a colorful agarita leaflet.
© 2014 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
You must be channeling me Steve … two great bloggers with but a single thought! I am currently working on a lichen post of my own .. watch for it later today. My lichen portrait was shot out of winter desperation. D
Pairodox Farm
January 20, 2014 at 6:26 AM
Happy channeling to you, Dave. (Did you know that in terms of etymology channel and canal are the same word?) Your last sentence reminds me of Thoreau:
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.”
Yes, winter in the north can be hard on photographers and make them desperate, so I sympathize. Philosophizing aside, I look forward to your lichen.
Steve Schwartzman
January 20, 2014 at 7:16 AM
If this link works, it is a lichen from Glacier NP last summer. It’s about 3″ across.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/j2AlYgbXgtTnHcm2_ciGvtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink
Jim in IA
January 20, 2014 at 7:26 AM
Sorry for the other ‘debris’. The iPad is not playing well with WordPress.
Jim in IA
January 20, 2014 at 7:28 AM
I de-debris-ed the link.
Steve Schwartzman
January 20, 2014 at 7:30 AM
I’ve seen the kind in your picture. There are so many types of lichen—most of them fascinating and photogenic—that it would be fun to put together a photographic book on the subject. Oh well, a look at Amazon shows that various people have already done that:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=lichen
Steve Schwartzman
January 20, 2014 at 7:38 AM
Yep…seems like few of our ideas are actually original. Thanks for picking up after me.
Jim in IA
January 20, 2014 at 8:13 AM
When I enlarged the photo, and then gave it an even closer look with a magnifying glass, it was amazing how similar to barnacles this (these?) seem. Individual tiny bumps seem to have openings in them, like a barnacle would.
Now that I think of it, barnacled wood is a fair description.
shoreacres
January 20, 2014 at 9:59 AM
Liken it to a barnacle, or say it’s like barnacled wood, as you would.
Steve Schwartzman
January 20, 2014 at 1:25 PM
I’m lichen this photo Steve! Sorry I couldn’t resist the temptation!
Michael Glover
January 20, 2014 at 11:26 AM
You’re not alone, Michael, I assure you. I’ve given in to many such temptations on this blog. Why not?
Steve Schwartzman
January 20, 2014 at 1:26 PM
Took the words right out of my mouth; it *would* be a redundancy if it weren’t the perfect way to emphasize the texture-ON-texture nature of the photo.
kathryningrid
January 20, 2014 at 6:24 PM
I like the way you put it: texture on texture. That preposition makes all the difference.
Steve Schwartzman
January 20, 2014 at 11:00 PM
I’m a Lichen this 🙂
sedge808
January 20, 2014 at 6:51 PM
You and Michael (a few comments back) had the same thought.
Steve Schwartzman
January 20, 2014 at 11:01 PM
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