Lichens

(non-taxonomic group)

Overview

Lichens are composite organisms composed of a fungus and a photosynthetic partner.

The photosynthetic partner (photobiont) in 90% of all lichens is green algae (Phylum Chlorophyta). In the remaining 10% the photobiont is cyanobacteria (Phylum Cyanobacteria). Some lichens have both green algae and cyanobacteria as photobionts. Some lichens have a third partner, yeast. It has been suggested that many or even the majority of lichens have a symbiotic relationship with yeast. That would explain why it is difficult to propagate lichens in a laboratory.

 
lichen (non-taxonomic group)
Photo by Luciearl
 

Lichens were formerly placed by some taxonomists in the division Mycophytophyta. However, that division is no longer recognized. Lichens are found in many separate lineages. They do not form a single valid taxonomic group. The lowest taxonomic rank that contains all lichens is the fungi Subkingdom Dikarya.

Description

Lichens are highly diverse. They are commonly grouped in field guides by morphological type (growth form) and by the surface that they grow on (substrate).

Growth form

Lichens are commonly grouped by growth form. The most common growth forms used in field guides are crusticose, foliose, and fruticose.

Crusticose lichens are crust-like. They adhere tightly to and blend directly into a substrate. They look like they were spray-painted on a substrate.

Foliose lichens appear leaf-like and are divided into lobes. The lower surface is often a different color than the upper surface.

Fruticose lichens look like a leafless shrub or bush. They may grow upright or hang down. The branches may be round or flattened. They may be few, thick, and erect, or many, thin, and draping down.

Other growth forms include scale-like (squamulose), powdery (leprose), jelly-like (gelatinous), stringy (filamentous) and wispy (byssoid).

Substrate

Lichens are also grouped by substrate. They grow on a wide variety of substrates, but in field guides these are commonly limited to ground, rocks, and trees. They also grow on roofs, walls, gravestones, and statues. Some lichens, called vagrant lichens, are not attached or become detached from a substrate and blow about in the wind. There are fewer than 100 species of vagrant lichens, but they occur all over the world, in all kinds of temperature zones.

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

4, 7, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77, 81.

1/10/2025    
Taxonomy
Kingdom

Fungi (fungi)

Subkingdom

Dikarya

   

Subordinate Taxa

Ascomycota

Basidiomycota

   

Synonyms

 

   

Common Names

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Luciearl

lichen   lichen
     
Unidentified Lichen #08   lichen

on a snag. Deeply grooved bark, I think was probably red oak, but not sure.

 

 

     
Unidentified Lichen #02   Unidentified Lichen #02
     
Unidentified Lichen #03   Unidentified Lichen #04
    … most likely red oak

Alfredo Colon

lichen  

lichen

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Slideshows

Mosses and Lichens
Brett Whaley

Mosses and Lichens
About

of Minnesota

Lichens
Andrée Reno Sanborn

Lichens
About

Most are unidentified. I will add IDs as soon as I find them.

Lichens
tigerbeatlefreak

Lichens

LICHEN
blair271

LICHEN

 

slideshow

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Other Videos

What's in a Lichen? How Scientists Got It Wrong for 150 Years | Short Film Showcase
National Geographic

About

Jan 25, 2018

For 150 years, scientists believed lichen were defined by a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and algae. Meet the team of researchers who upended this belief in this short film by Andy Johnson, Talia Yuki Moore, Chris A. Johns, and Kate Furby.

Lichen: The Mysterious Love Child of Fungi and Algae
Journey to the Microcosmos

About

Apr 10, 2023

Everything You Wanted to Know About Lichen
Richard Vobes

About

Jan 17, 2020

Today I meet up with Mike Dixon, a Lichen enthusiast. Together we spend a pleasant morning searching the churchyard of St Lawrence church in Falmer, East Sussex for the wonderful organism that grows on tombstones, as well as trees, wood and brick.

A lichen is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship. The combined lichen has properties different from those of its component organisms.

8 Lichens to Know and Love
Ohio Plants Online

About

Oct 8, 2020

HOW TO RECOGNIZE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LICHENS | Lichen growth forms, structures and reproduction
Nature Clearly

About

Jan 23, 2023

What are the different lichen growth forms? How can you recognize them? What are those disc-like structures on lichens? And how do lichens reproduce?3

In this video, we go through basic lichen growth forms (thallus types), their color and some morphological features. Understanding how to categorize lichens and being able to recognize some of their most noticeable features will help you with lichen identification. We will also learn what apothecia, isidia and soredia are and, along with that, we touch on types of reproduction in lichens.

 

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Visitor Sightings
 

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Luciearl
11/18/2024

Location: Lake Shore, MN

lichen

Luciearl
2/26/2024

Location: Fairview Twp, Cass County

on a snag. Deeply grooved bark, I think was probably red oak, but not sure.

lichen

Luciearl
1/1/2020

Location: Fairview Twp, Cass County

… most likely red oak

lichen

Alfredo Colon
8/10/2019

Location: Woodbury, MN

lichen
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Created: 1/10/2025

Last Updated:

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