Here, living in our melting snow and ice, is a tiny fungus called British Soldier Lichen (Cladonia cristellata). Its name derives from the British uniform referenced in the New England warning, “The Redcoats are coming!”
However, these redcoats won’t fit anything much larger than a pinhead and they like to bivouac on cedar tree stumps.
Nonetheless, the lichen is considered to be a tasty treat for white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and other mixed salad lovers. We say “mixed” because lichens are two symbiotic organisms – a fungus and an alga – in partnership to help each other. Basically, most of the combined body is a fungus that provides protection, water, and minerals to the lichen; the alga makes sugar from sunlight for the fungus. Because their “bodies” are mostly fungi, lichens are classified as fungi. (Brooklin, Maine)