For the mossickers & lichenists

[MattA]

For Mitchell and those who fit the title...

[MattA]

and more.. this is my field of coral.. a form that has so far eluded me in cultivation but I think I have the answer.. if you see how it floats on the ground, it is living off the decomposing leaves, never having a solid tie to the ground. It crushes so easily and takes ages for it to repair after a footprint is made. Also a couple of Hakea that I would love to be able to collect.. maybe one day I will work out a way.

Edit... delete duplicate pic

[Amanda]

Phwoar - moss & lichen lust

[Jan]

What soil type are they growing on MattA? What kind of stone is in the area? Your "coral" look very similar to a blue/green/whitish lichen we get in our granite country.

The hakea look like a collection temptation.

Nice pictures, good to see another moss/lichen fan.

[MattA]

Hey Jan,

I am on a mix of sandstone & clay shales.

The Hakea are sericeae which I have been experimenting with for a couple of years now trying to learn all I can before I attempt to dig them. But I think the day is coming, a few test digs of some smaller ones before I attempt these 2.

Matt

[Kunzea]

Matt
Gorgeous species the 'coral' lichens. I think you have a species of Cladia, possibly C. retipora, but hard to be sure. There are eight speices in Australia. In the far north of the planet, they are called reindeer mosses, as that is one of the stable items in their diet.

I've tried growing them without any success. Love to hear from anyone who has and how they did it.
Cheers
K

[MattA]

Cheers for the possible ID there Kunzea, I am going to have another crack at them. Will collect a load of leaf litter & set it on top.. all I can do to try.

Matt

[Kunzea]

Perhaps experiment with only small bits. You don't want to be responsible for causing a population to collapse. I'd expect them to regrow from broken bits.
K

[MattA]

Perhaps experiment with only small bits. You don't want to be responsible for causing a population to collapse. I'd expect them to regrow from broken bits.
K

Your not wrong there. The last thing I want to do is destroy the local population. I was thinking of collecting a single clump so it keeps the network intact. I only want one in my collection as a representative piece. I am not sure if a piece off one clump would regrow as it takes years to repair damage when disturbed.

In the bad old days I would have just gone at it, I am alot more considered in what I do & how I do it these days. Tho the odd occasion of just rip & see what happens does go on when I dont have the time to research or plan an attack.

Is there any possibility lichens might be considered an endangered or protected species? The area in the photo's is currently under a DA application that we locals are trying to stop. 80acres bordering the east & north sides of my town are covered by the DA. I have found a few holes in the Environmental study so far but the more I can add the better.

Matt

[Kunzea]

Matt
A quick, but not comprehensive, check did not find C retipora on an endangered or similar listing of conservation status. There is always danger to populations these days, just because there are so many people who may be collecting. I'm not sure what a 'DA' is, but if it means bulldozers coming in, you may be able to talk to the contrator and salvage material that would otherwise just be buried.
K

[MattA]

Hey K,

Thanks for looking into it so quickly for me. DA is short for Development Application, they are wanting to bulldoze 55 acres out of approx 90 that borders my town on 2 sides, to put in 465 more houses that this little town cant support, roads, water, sewerage, schools, emergency services etc.

There are lots of holes in the Environmental Impact Study that I have been going over with a fine tooth comb. I have identified 4 species of plant that are on the NSW endangered list and one that is listed as most likely extinct. They have identified 2 of them but state that they are only in areas that will not be affected (very convenient). The extinct one they didnt even look for stating it would not be possible for it to occur here. Given it was last reported over 50yrs ago & prior to that the research into natives was almost non existant & hence they have no idea of what this plants natural range was or is.

Another town meeting next wednesday should be interesting as several of our action group have been working on different aspects of the application, mine being the plants (not because I am that knowledgable but because I am the only one who wanted to). We have already raised a number of issues with council that we are hoping to have a response to by then.

Matt

[Kunzea]

Lots of luck Matt! Can be a long campaign. Keep up the good work.
Cheers
K

[bodhidharma]

Lots of luck from me to Matt. It is difficult to stop this sort of progress. But we must try

[Mitchell]

Spent the day mossicking on a private bush property. Collected several types which I plan on drying / packing and or mixing with beer/milk and spreading out onto grow trays. Shall be lots of fun.

[Jake]

whats the theory behind beer and milk? im guessing it helps the cultures grow.
-Jake