I’m a day late with posting the third and final installment in my “Month of Macro” series, but I figured it was better late than never. The last two posts focused on trees and wildflowers – two groups of organisms that probably don’t require a macro lens to be appreciated, but whose details can certainly be enhanced by using one. This post, however, will focus on two types of organisms that are relatively small and easily overlooked, and which get infinitely cooler when you zoom in: Fungi and Lichens. 

1. Wrinkled Crust (Phlebia radiata) – A type of wood-rotting crust fungus that I found covering a dead oak trunk. This was the first time I’d noticed a patch of this so large. It seemed to both seep into and pour out of every break in the bark.

2. Crowded Parchment (Stereum complicatum) – A common wood-decaying bracket fungus. I see this fungus practically everywhere, and had stopped giving it much attention, but the colors and patterns are quite appealing up close.  

3. Jelly Fungus (Exidia glandulosa) – I’ve always assumed jelly fungi were smooth – essentially the fungal world’s version of a jello jiggler. So I was surprised to see these little pimple-like bumps on its surface when seen at this scale. Perhaps some spore bearing structures of the fungus? 

4. Violet toothed polypore (Trichaptum biforme) with Fairy Pins (Phaeocalicium polyporaeum) – Like the crowded parchment fungus, this is another common wood-decaying bracket fungus. It’s relatively easy to identify (and well named!) with it’s purple color and toothed pore-bearing surface, often growing in large clusters on dead and dying trees. And, if you look really close, you might be lucky enough to spot a lichen species that uses this fungus as its substrate: fairy pins! These are super tiny, perhaps a millimeter or two long, and easily overlooked. I’ve noticed them before, but this is the first time I’ve truly seen them. 

5. Common Button Lichen (Buellia erubescens) – Button lichens are a type of crustose lichen, which grow close to the surface of their substrate. This one is common on tree trunks. The black spots are the lichen’s apothecia (i.e., its spore bearing structures).

6. Grey Reindeer Lichen (Cladonia rangiferina) – Prior to delving into species ID with more focus, I was pretty confident that even though I couldn’t identify most lichens, I could accurately identify reindeer lichens. I discovered a couple of year ago, however, that we have at least half a dozen different species of reindeer lichen on Cape Cod. When I see reindeer lichen out on my walks, I can now notice the subtle differences in color and branching patterns at the tips, although I still struggle to accurately identify any of them except this one: the grey reindeer lichen. This species is noticeably grayer than the others, and has tips that curl back down at the ends. 

7. Mealy Pixie Cup Lichen (Cladonia chlorophaea) – Related and similar to the reindeer lichen, pixie cup lichens are easy to identify as a group, but can still be difficult to distinguish between the few local pixie cup species. My guess for this one is mealy pixie cup, but I could be wrong. The texture of these structures is much more ornate that I’d thought prior to getting a good look with this lens. 

Thus concludes my “month of macro”, but don’t worry, there will be plenty of macro photos sprinkled in in the future. I’m particularly looking forward to the warmer months when insects are more common, as I think they’ll be a fascinating subject to photograph with the new lens. Stay tuned!