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Pilophorus acicularis

species

“Nail Lichen”

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Pilophorus acicularis, commonly known as the nail lichen or the devil's matchstick lichen, is a species of matchstick lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. P. aciculare has both crustose (crust-like) and fruticose thallus (shrub-like) body parts. The lichen starts out as a granular crust on the rock surface, and develops fruticose stalks, or pseudopodetia, up to 3 cm (1.2 in) tall and about 1 mm thick that have rounded black apothecia at the tips. The stalks are erect and curved so as to appear combed. It grows directly on silicate rocks in dense clusters. It is found on the west coast of North America up to Alaska, and in eastern Eurasia. In addition to green algae, the lichen contains cyanobacteria that help contribute to soil fertility by supplying fixed nitrogen. It was originally…

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