"i'm lichen it" -gbrilla

I'm doing a lichen project.
I'm finding out things about lichen I never knew.
Yes, it is interesting.

Lichen is apparently a combination of multiple species. 2 mostly, but sometimes 3. Mostly Algae and Fungi.

This is called symbiosis. when two organisms join and survive better together than they would alone (how romantic)

Both the Fungi and the Algae benefit from this connection, thus making a relationship called mutualism.

Mr. Fungi wraps himself around Ms. Alga's voluptuous cells and they produce baby Lichen.

Fungus does not have chlorophyll and cannot photosynthesize it's own food---that's where Algae comes in play.

Algae benefits because Fungi is better at finding, soaking, and retaining water and is also responsible for the reproductive structures and forming the outer body.

Thallus is the main body of lichen.

Lichens are sensitive to air pollution!! I'm not sure how St. James Parish has surviving lichen.....

Three main types of Lichen: (although there are more)
Crustose--crusty ( i like that word..crusty.)
Foliose--leafy
Fruticose--shrubbery

Squamulose Lichen- (i'm only mentioning this because i also like the word squamule)
"Sometimes crustose lichens develop blister-like "squamules," where part of the plant body, or thallus, lifts off the substrate on which the lichens grow."


The bottom is Crustose Lichen the top is Foliose Lichen



Foliose Lichen



Fruticose Lichen


yaaaaaay