I returned to my first Tree of Life to check on its changes since 2017. (See link below.)
Tree of Life
Most of the fungi was gone. Instead it was covered with lichens and mosses.
The bark and covering life forms were still soaking wet from a downpour the day before.
Water was actually traveling through the mosses and dripping onto the ground below.
The tree itself looked less alive but it was totally covered with other forms of life.
It was truly beautiful.
FLOW and Ebb
Zeta threw down a lot of limbs last week.
It is always interesting to look at what has taken up residence on the dead wood of a tree.
These life forms get heavy with rain, then the wind stresses the limb to the point that gravity wins.
Here is a limb full of life.
It is covered with fungi and lichen.
The fungi here is called a jelly.
The lichens are grouped by their form.
They can be crustose, foliose of fruticose depending on whether they appear crusty, leafy of fruity.
If you would like to learn more, use the link below.
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/lichens/gallery/index.shtml
Flow
My sister and I found all these different life forms growing on and in one old tree.
It was like a treasure hunt.
This tree is a treasure.
FLOWER
I love plants and fungi.
So how could I not like a lichen? It is both plant(algae) and fungi.
This is called symbiosis.
I hate to admit that I picked this up, stuck it in the pocket of my coat and forgot about it.
Later, I reached in and found this dried up wad.
Amazingly, it plumped back up when I put a few drops of water on it.
I chopped it into pieces to put under the microscope.
Do not worry about its survival. All the pieces are happily growing in one of the terrariums.
floweralley 