tube lichen

Description:

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). The morphology, physiology and biochemistry of lichens are very different from those of the isolated fungus and alga in culture. Lichens are widespread and may be long-lived; however, many are also vulnerable to environmental disturbance, and may be useful to scientists in assessing the effects of air pollution, ozone depletion, and metal contamination. Lichens have also been used in making dyes and perfumes, as well as in traditional medicines

Habitat:

Lichens occur in some of the most extreme environments on Earth—arctic tundra, hot deserts, rocky coasts, and toxic slag heaps. However, they are also abundant as epiphytes on leaves and branches in rain forests and temperate woodland, on bare rock, including walls and gravestones, and on exposed soil surfaces (e.g., Collema) in otherwise mesic habitats

Notes:

thats a new area of "fungi" for me, therefore it is possibly, not really nailed down. At the begin it is difficult, because they all seems to look very similar and its not easier with the always changing taxa's. Will renew, when i find good infos or even (when not already) the right id. -- the last picture is a little bonus, i have a vivid imagination: I saw at least 3 animal-head-shaped figures in the chaos, 1 snake ,1 Platypus and 1 elephant without ears. maybe you will find some too. ( http://www.google.nl/search?hl=nl&su... )