Lichens galore
Lichens are strange things. They are sometimes referred to as "moss", but they aren't. Some look like little mushrooms, but they aren't. Some look like little leaves, but they aren't plants; they aren't even a single organism. Confused? Good.
Lichens are composite organisms, a combination of species, consisting of algae or bacteria living on filaments of fungi in a symbiotic relationship. The algae produce food by photosynthesis, the fungi gather moisture and nutrients from the surroundings, and also serve as protection for the algae.
This combination of species is very successful and is found all over the world, even in the harshest of climates, where it dominates and can be the only source of food for animals. There is a great variety of lichens, I made some photos of four that are commonly found in and around the local peatbog near Enschede, The Netherlands.
These are called called trumpet lichen (Cladonia fimbriata), but I call them "Shrek's ears". They usually grow facing West in The Netherlands because of the prevailing winds; they use rain to spread their spores. First, the cups fill up with water that absorbs the spores, and the next rain drop that hits will scatter the spores:
Olympus Stylus 1s, 42mm, ISO200, f8, 1/8s, repost
The next two grew on a wooden fence post on the edge of the peat bog. I haven't been able to find their names:
Olympus Stylus 1s, 42mm, ISO800, f8, 1/13s
Olympus Stylus 1s, 42mm, ISO800, f8, 1/25s
Lichens come in a great many forms and will grow on just about everything, even stone, which they can break down both mechanically and chemically. Wood, living or dead, is an easier source of nutrients for most though. Here's two on living wood:
Olympus Stylus 1s, 42mm, ISO800, f4, 1/30s, repost
Maybe one of you who lives in a cold climate could tell me if one of the lichens in the photos also grows there, or if you have different kinds there.
I took some lichen pictures aswell recently :)
These https://steemit.com/photography/@sulev/the-tiny-world-part-ii-macro-photoshoot, yes?
Fascinating, especially the first image.
I'm a lichen fan! Cool photos! Now following!
Thanks! I never realised lichens had fans 8-).
put me down as another, they fascinate me
Good man!!
Do you know why fungi and algae live together? Because they took a lichen to each other!
=D
Note to UK readers: in the colonies, "lichen" doesn't rhyme with "kitchen".
@ocrdu, prachtig!
i like the Shrek's ears! I saw them in one of the old pots of carnation plants - #til they are called Shrek's ears :) thanks!
Well, I call them Shrek's ears, they are actually called trumpet lichen, kopjesbekermos in het nederlands.
@ocrdu - hahaha maar leuke naam ook
precies - het echt hahah
are they invasive? the last one is pestering a conifer tree in the middle of the garden should we be worried? I let the tree drink water + vinegar every now and then but not in summer so it won't die
Most lichens don't harm the trees they grow on, but when there are a lot it can be a sign the tree isn't healthy or grows very slowly.
I really dig the macro shots, nice work!
Thanks!
Great photos, with beautiful detail. The second one looks a bit like a Lobaria, which we have here, usually growing up in tree branches, but I am about as far from expert concerning ID, as one could get. A few years back I worked processing lichen for a well known researcher in the Forest Service for awhile (mind numbing work, but got to handle a lot of them in a clean-room type space), for analysis on pollution uptake in the wilderness. Very interesting, and it made me really appreciate them, and how hard it can be to identify them sometimes. Fascinating little symbionts. Thanks for the post and great photos and info.
nice