Lichenizing the Bonspiel

The bonspiel is one of the great Wolf Ridge traditions - watching Men with Broom, curling, meeting past nats, and partying afterwards at home. It also provided an excuse to explore some of the rivers near Two Harbors. The French seems like your typical North Shore river, but for some reason there are some strange Collemataceae along it. Otto found Enchylium expansum there in 2017 growing in a ~1m x 1m patch. To date that’s the only occurrence of it in the state. In that spot it grows abundantly, but elsewhere on the river I couldn’t see it. It has to be elsewhere one would think, but how many other spots?

The river

Mostly frozen

Enchylium expansum 
State Watchlist Species

Close up when dry

Close up when wet 

Likely rose-petalled jellyskin lichen (Scytinium gelatinosum)
State Watchlist Species

Likely birdnest jellyskin lichen (Scytinium tenuissimum)

Canada buffaloberry (Sheperdia canadensis) growing near the mouth of the river

Definitely a weird assortment of species for a North Shore river. That’s the beauty of riverwalking. Each river has a lot in common, but they all have their own personalities. 





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