L is for LICHEN (#12 of 312)

I recently fell in love with lichen- that stuff that’s usually green and not moss hanging from trees or clinging to sidewalks and rocks mistaken for old gum. It was a classic “right in front of your eyes the whole time” scenario. There are over 28,oo0 named species of lichen. Lichen…

1. … is ubiquitous, and yet goes largely unnoticed. Lichen is found everywhere on earth.
2. … cleans the air, and is a measure of air quality.
3. … is SYMBIOTIC. Lichen is a combination of a FUNGI and a PHOTOBIONT (an algae or a kind of bacteria) that work together to exist.
4. … feeds animals.
5. … creates soil.
6. … provides a home for insects and spiders.
7. … is beautiful. The color and shape of lichen, it’s branches and greens and neons and oranges are mesmerizing.
8. … has fascinating scientific names.
9. … are studied by lichenologists. The father of lichenology (Erik Acharius) was a Swedish botanist, and often referred to as the last student of Carl Linnaeus. Yes, THAT Linnaeus. Linnaeus clumped all lichen together, leaving the work of classifying, grouping, and digging deeper to someone else.
10. Etc.