Lichens come in so many forms, I think thet are great to see and photograph. Look at this log and then have a closer look at the other image. rotting log ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden ) lichens ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden )
I've always appreciated everything Mother Nature has to offer and just lately I've been taking a closer look at mosses, lichens and fungi (thanks mainly to you Kildale.) I've found them to be fascinating and very attractive - far more so than I ever expected. Many thanks for you lovely photographs - the red really stands out against the fronds of the lichen doesn't it? :-D Are these the fruits or the flowers? I have soooo much still to learn.
Hi Eileen. I checked out the red on the lichen for the easiest way to expain what it is. First though, Lichens are formed from a combination of a fungal partner and an algal partner. This is what I found. This is an apothecium. An apothecium is a fungal reproductive structure, in which the fungus reproduces itself through the production of spores. These spores will disperse and germinate into new fungi, but they will not produce new lichens. For a lichen to reproduce, both the fungus and the alga must disperse together.
Mmmm I really must read up about lichens as my knowledge is, obviously, severely lacking. I did know about fungal reproductions but, sadly, never even thought about how lichens reproduce or, in fact, anything much about them at all. Thanks for the information Kildale - it's whetted my appetite for more knowledge. I'm off now to trawl through my books and see how much more information I can find about them.
