Here, bivouacking on the top of a maple stump yesterday, is a company of British soldiers that only those with very keen eyes will notice. It’s the tiny fungus called British soldier lichen (Cladonia cristellata). Its name derives from the British military uniforms of yore that alarmed early Americans. (“The Redcoats are coming!”)
BSL stalks grow to about ¼ an inch and the red caps are slightly larger than pinheads. Yet, this native lichen is nibbled by white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and other browsing salad lovers.
As you may know, lichens are two symbiotic organisms in one entity: fungi and algae. Basically, most of the body is a fungus that brings in water and minerals; the remaining alga makes sugar from sunlight. Because their dominant components are fungi, lichens are classified as fungi. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on March 18, 2022.)