Seaside Centipede

Heterodermia stitchensis

A lichen is an organism comprised of a fungus and an alga in close symbiotic association. The seaside centipede lichen is found in only two locations on the west coast of Vancouver Island.It is a tiny, semi-erect, cushion-forming, leafy lichen with urn-shaped outgrowths and tiny hair-like structures. The high humidity, good air circulation, moderate temperatures, and shelter from open exposure that the seaside centipede needs for its survival are such complex habitat requirements that they can only be met by sitka spruce twigs. These twigs are collected by campers for firewood or destroyed through clear-cutting, leaving this extremely rare lichen in tremendous danger of extinction.