Sunday, May 25, 2008

bad hair day 1 (usnea barbata)




an ancient hawthorn completely enveloped by lichen. Is it 'liken' or 'litchen' or both? It certainly consumed one expensive Nikon lens cap. Hawthorns seem to be prone to these dramatic efflorescences (well, no flowers but what else can one call it ...hirsuitism), which are species of usnea and are common on isolated trees on Dartmoor and Bodmin moor.

4 comments:

Tara said...

Here we call it Spanish moss..

Spot said...

but spanish moss isn't really moss, but Tillandsia usneoides (like usnea).Usnea does look more beardy, like something out of a Harry Potter film.

For the best way to deal with irritating gardeners and botanists like Spot who answer questions you didn't ask see this link to the life and times of our royal family

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1020807/
Prickly-Prince-Philip-scythes-gardener-Chelsea-Flower-Show-corrected-plant.html

Tara said...

I'm going to take a look at this URL (I may not have asked but I am always learning here!!)
:0)

Tara said...

Just tuned in to the Prince's remarks--as we'd say in New York, "Lighten Up, Buddy!"!(Certainly not within Royal protocol)--