ExploreFungi

Lichen

Lichen is a special type of fungus that grows on rocks, trees, and soil. It comes in many colors like green, gray, and yellow, and helps keep the air clean.

Habitat: Various surfaces

Appearance

The Lichen has a diverse appearance, often forming flat crusts, leafy flakes, or miniature shrub-like structures. They come in many colors like grey-green, yellow, orange, or black, clinging tightly to surfaces like rocks or tree bark.

KingdomFungiPhylumAscomycotaClassLecanoromycetesOrderLecanoralesFamilyParmeliaceaeGenusLichen

Lichen

Interesting facts

Lichen has been used by humans for making colorful dyes and medicines.

Scientists can use lichen to help date ancient artifacts and rock formations!

Some lichens are among the slowest-growing organisms on Earth!

They can survive being completely dried out for a very long time.

Special abilities

Lichen is a super partnership between a fungus and algae (or cyanobacteria) because they both benefit from living together.

Lichen can grow on bare rocks because they slowly break them down, helping create new soil over time.

Lichen has a special ability to show us how clean the air is because they are very sensitive to pollution.

Measurements & details

Height: 0.1-20 cm
Edibility: edible
Growth Substrate: other
Season: Year-round

Ecological connections

symbiotic with

Green Alga

Trebouxia erici

algae provide food via photosynthesis

eaten by

Reindeer

Rangifer tarandus

major food source in winter

shelters

Springtail

Orchesella cincta

tiny insects find refuge within

depends on

Human

Homo sapiens

some cultures use it for dyes

Traits

Lichen

This trait describes a composite organism resulting from a symbiotic association between a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, typically an alga or cyanobacterium.