Lichens are symbiotic organisms made up of multiple species: a fungus, one or more photobionts (an alga and/or a cyanobacteria) and sometimes a yeast. They are regularly grouped by their external appearance – a characteristic known as their growth form. This form, which is based on the appearance of vegetative part of the lichen (its thallus), varies depending on the species and the environmental conditions it faces. Those who study lichens (lichenologists) have described a dozen of these forms: areolate, byssoid, calicioid, cladoniform, crustose, filamentous, foliose, fruticose, gelatinous, leprose, placoidioid and squamulose. Traditionally, crustose (flat), foliose (leafy) and fruticose (shrubby) are considered to be the three main forms. In addition to these more formalised, traditional growth types, there are a handful of informal types named for their resemblance to the lichens of specific genera. These include alectorioid, catapyrenioid, cetrarioid, hypogymnioid, parmelioid and usneoid.
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The three main growthformsLichens are symbiotic organisms made up of multiple species: a fungus, one or more photobionts (an alga and/or a cyanobacteria)...
Common lichengrowthforms A lichen (/ˈlaɪkən/ LY-kən, UK also /ˈlɪtʃən/ LITCH-ən) is a symbiosis of algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple...
general, lichens do not grow very quickly. Annual growth rates vary among different growthforms. Crustose lichens have the lowest rates of growth. The diameter...
A fruticose lichen is a form of lichen fungi that is characterized by a coral-like shrubby or bushy growth structure. It is formed from a symbiotic relationship...
Lichen morphology describes the external appearance and structures of a lichen. These can vary considerably from species to species. Lichengrowth forms...
substrate on which it grows. It is one of the three most common growthforms of lichens. It typically has distinct upper and lower surfaces, each of which...
The following outline provides an overview of and topical guide to lichens. Lichen – composite organism made up of multiple species – a fungal partner...
species of lichen-forming fungi. It forms a red color when stained with iodine. lichenometry A dating technique that measures crustose lichengrowth to estimate...
tinctoria It is used to make litmus, a mixture of several organic compounds. Lichen has been used for centuries to make dyes. This includes royal purple colors...
variants of lichen planus. Six clinical forms of oral lichen planus (OLP) are recognized: These types often coexist in the same individual. Oral lichen planus...
collaboration, including the fungus/alga partnership of different species in a lichen, or the permanent sexual partnership of an anglerfish, as an organism. The...
another form of lichen identification test. Lichenologists may also study the growth and growth rate of lichens, lichenometry, the role of lichens in nutrient...
Devergie's disease. Dr. W.A.D. Griffiths, from Great Britain, classified six forms of PRP in the early 1980s. At this time, the causes of PRP are still unknown...
ciliaris, commonly known as the great ciliated lichen or eagle's claws, is a species of fruticose lichen in the family Physciaceae. It is predominantly...
affecting people with sarcoidosis Ulcerative lichen planus, a rare variant of lichen planus Ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative...
of lichen are able to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. This process relies on the presence of cyanobacteria as a partner species within the lichen. The...
squamules), cup-bearing lichens. The Cladina morpho-types are often referred to as forage lichens, mat-forminglichens, or reindeer lichens (due to their importance...
Ramalina menziesii, the lace lichen or fishnet, is a pale yellowish-green to grayish-green fruticose lichen. It grows up to a meter long, hanging from...
forms. They are grouped by thallus type. Thallus growthforms typically correspond to a few basic internal structure types. Common names for lichens often...
contribution of these factors to lichengrowth is difficult because differences in the original environment from which the lichen thalli are collected will greatly...
Usnea filipendula, the fishbone beard lichen, is a pale gray-green fruticose lichen with a pendant growthform, growing in up to 20 cm many-branching tassels...
country, it is considered an indicator of old-growth forest. These primeval forests, where the lichen is found, are increasingly rare in Europe and are...
deciduous shrub branches in Northern temperate rainforest. This lichen favors mature and old growth, wet conifer and hardwood forests with clean air. A. sarmentosa...
(formerly Xanthoria elegans), commonly known as the elegant sunburst lichen, is a lichenized species of fungus in the genus Rusavskia, family Teloschistaceae...
Acarospora socialis (bright cobblestone lichen) is a usually bright yellow areolate to squamulose crustose lichen in the family Acarosporaceae that grows...
by air from the surrounding areas. These spores grow and form symbiotic association, the lichen, which act as pioneer species of bare rocks. The process...
referred to as shrubby cup lichen or green reindeer lichen, is a species of cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. The lichen is composed of two thalli;...
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