Light Up the Lichen!
Sep 09, 2025 • 1:58 PM UTC
United States
50x Magnification
Fungi
Holly Stuart (Foldscope Team)
Education Specialist at Foldscope Instruments
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I found some British Soldier lichen (Cladonia cristatella) while hiking - the red caps really stood out against the rocks. Lighting makes a huge difference in how it appears under the Foldscope microscope. Because it is pretty opaque (light cannot pass through it), the stalk appears very dark when the light comes from behind the sample.
However, with the reflective lighting setting on the 2.0 LED Light Module, the light hits the sample from the front allowing you to see the gray green color of the stalk.
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