My eye was caught by some lichen growing on the wooden top of some wind chimes . . . and I went forth in search of more.
What are these things anyway? I probably once knew but I went to Mr. Google to refresh my memory.
Well, there's a lot to know. Lichen is a symbiotic between a fungus and either an alga or a cyanobacterium (a type of bacteria.) And there are well over 18,000 species of lichen, growing all over the world. Lichen provides food for man and beast, dyes, fibers, medicines, and more. Fascinating stuff -- I went down the web's rabbit hole and was amazed at how much there is to know about these things--a lifetime wouldn't be enough.
And then there are mosses-- but perhaps I'll save that for another day.
4 comments:
I am ‘liken’ this post. Shall I just see myself out?
You are such a fun guy, AC
Beauty out there is so many varieties.
They are an often-overlooked wonder. I had a friend once who was an expert in them and even had some named after him. With that huge number of species they need a lot of names!
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