Who can identify the species in this picture?

[csprague]

I saw this just below tree-line on North Brother on Saturday. The golf-tee looking things caught my attention first, and in the end, the entire picture was interesting.

It seems that the lichens that look like golf tees are called podetia, but what else can be identified?

Chris

 

[Zimmer]

The white lichen is Reindeer moss; the red-capped lichens are British Soldiers.

 

[nartreb]

Lots of species. The pale branching lichen is "deer moss" (Cladonia evansii, probably) there's a bit of "british soldier" lichen (Cladonia cristatella) visible by its bright-red caps especially at upper left, the twig at right is probably balsam fir (as are the orange needles lying around), and I really ought to recognize that moss but I'm drawing a blank. No clue on the little reddish mushroom left of center.

 

[Pat T]

The green moss looks like Polytrichum, hair-cap moss.

Nice picture!

Pat T

 

[audrey]

Podetia are actually what the stalks of these types of lichens are called. The long stalks that are growing beside the pixie cups but lacking the golf tee head look like worm lichens (Thamniola vermicularis).

The pixie cups are Cladonia pyxidata. Nice website with information:
http://www.voyageurcountry.com/htmls/floweringplants/plants/pixiecups.html

Complicating matters is that immature worm lichens can have the golf tee heads too.

Pixie cups and british soldiers prefer similar conditions and are very often found growing together.

The mushroom is a classic example of an LBM (little brown mushroom )... fungus identification is tough. There are a couple of genera: Mycena and Marasmius, that it may be in.