The Many-fruited Pelt (Peltigera polydactylon) is a member of the Pelt family of lichens that grow on soils, mosses and rocks in shaded forests.
The Many-fruited Pelt has shiny brown lobes (thalli) and many reddish-brown saddle-shaped fruiting bodies (apothecia).
Pelt Lichen are composed of a fungus and a cyanobacterium. They have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air -- and thus influence soil chemistry.
