Lichens 24-VI
FUNGI
Lichens
 
 
A lichen in the Rocky Mountains.



Chapter Outline
  1. Description of Fungi
  2. Classification of Fungi
  3. Miscellaneous Fungi
  4. Ascomycota
  5. Basidiomycota
  6. Lichens

Tree



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Lichens = fungus plus cyanobacterium or eukaryotic algae or both

Lichens are informally classified (Wikipedia) by growth form into:

  • Crustose (paint-like, flat), e.g., Caloplaca spp.
  • Filamentous (hair-like), e.g., Ephebe lanata
  • Foliose (leafy), e.g., Hypogymnia spp.
  • Fruticose (branched), e.g., Cladonia evansii, C. subtenuis, and Usnea australis
  • Leprose (powdery), e.g., Lepraria incana
  • Squamulose (consisting of small scale-like structures, lacking a lower cortex), e.g., Normandina pulchella
  • Gelatinous lichens, in which the cyanobacteria produce a polysaccharide that absorbs and retains water.
They are more formally classified by the fungal species in the partnership. Nearly all are in the phylum Ascomycota. To see examples, look for the word "lichen" next to the organism name on the previous pages.

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