Anaptychia ciliaris

Anaptychia ciliaris, commonly known as the great ciliated lichen or eagle's claws, is a species of fruticose lichen in the family Physciaceae. It is predominantly found in Northern Europe, with its range extending to European Russia, the Caucasus, Central and Southern Europe, the Canary Islands, and parts of Asia. First mentioned in botanical literature by the Italian botanist Fabio Colonna in 1606, the species was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, who highlighted its unique physical characteristics such as its grey colour, its unusual leafy form with linear fringe-like segments, and the presence of hair-like structures (cilia). This lichen is adaptable in its choice of substrates, mostly growing on tree barks and less commonly on rocks. Throughout history, the lichen has been used in early scientific investigations about lichen structure and development. Early botanists like Joseph Pitton de Tournefort and Johann Hedwig made observations about the lichen's structure. More r......read more on Wikipedia.