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Project Noah Nature School
foliose Hypogymnia physodes
Lichen likes water. 2 pictures. On the left the lichen is hysrated. On the right the lichen lies on the ground, dehydrated. Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus (the mycobiont) with a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont or phycobiont), usually either a green alga (commonly Trebouxia) or cyanobacterium (commonly Nostoc).
This lichen was found on barren limestone rock during the recent Texas drought. Lichens are often the first to settle in places lacking soil, constituting the sole vegetation in some extreme environments. This lichen survives in the tough conditions of of the semi-arid Texas, and others on frozen soil of the Arctic regions.
Spotted on Jan 7, 2012
Submitted on Jan 11, 2012
2 Comments
Their possible role in terraforming is very promising.
Very interesting info on the link - I had no idea that scientists have been attempting to produce lichens in laboratory!