Growing on bark = corticolous

We keep this crabby old crab-apple in our landscape because we are too cheap to buy food for the dog.

I started googling lichen after reading your first post - they sure are beautiful. Interesting that the lingo is so complex and mysterious! I read some abstracts at one harvard.edu site in which at least 3/4 the words were completely unintelligible to me.

Cladonia deformis, the "lesser sulphur-cup" from http://www.lichen.com/

dtd,
Cool lichen I wonder what the orange sitting on the edge of the cup is?? A fruiting body??

Growing *on* lichen = lignicolous

Here's a completely non scientific contribution to the discussion...I remember those shown by DTD being called "British Soldiers" by my mom and grandmother. They are actually quite small, only about 1/2" tall, I believe?

Emily

APOLOGIES!!!

Growing on lichen = lichenicolous

I must admit the error was the result of small print vs magnifying glasses denial. Thank goodness it is a 101 level of study but none the less I am disappointed that I have already screwed up my GPA. I wish I had the option to edit my post...is there a way of deleting then re-posting?
Emily, I have heard the term "British Soldiers" associated with lichens but don't ever recall knowing what they looked like.
kt

You know, kt, I think your GPA is safe, especially if we're using the bell curve. I had to go back and forth to see the difference in the label of "lichen on lichen." I really like lichen (hmmmm... some alliteration?), because it's cool to look at, but thinking about memorizing the species' names makes my head hurt. Off to the remedial room.

Emily

Emily thanks for the bell curve now what can you do for dd and her freshman art history grade?

Growing *on* rock = saxicolous

I love your picture with the lichen and crabapples.

Ashley,
Thanks for the kind words. I am guessing by your zone that you are coastal NE. If your interested I would really appreciate if you could post some lichen photos from your region. I say this knowing in MA alone there are over 600 different varieties of lichens and they have very rigid conditions under which they will grow. For example not all stone lichens will grow on all stones, the acidity in different stones is a very big factor. So as much as I can throw up a couple of pictures from my community of plants and stone my guess is yours might be different. I noted a distinctive difference between lichens that with grow on oak and those that grow on pitch pine....hmmm. Nan had the brilliant suggestion that we move more instructional/photo attempt over to a blog. Sounds great to me wonder what others think??

>For example not all stone lichens will grow on all stones

I've also read (but can't swear it's true) that if you MOVE stones with lichen on them, there's a chance the lichen will die. We built a low retaining wall with stones from upstate NY a few years ago, and I keep watching to see if the lichen have died off on some and/or cropped up on others. Of course I didn't think to take photos, so I have no idea how this is working out. Just something else to worry about when you run out of "real" things.

There's a stretch of prosaic blacktop sidewalk down the street from me that's covered with lichen. Who would think that *anything* could grow on blacktop? I wonder if there's a term for that - taricolous or blacktopicolous? Maybe I can get a photo; if for no other reason than to confound the neighbors yet again.

Nan,
I interesting about moving a lichen out of its environment but I suppose it makes sense. Can't wait to see a photo of blacktopicolous that will be one for the record books!!

Growing on soil = terricolous

There will be major EXTRA CREDIT points given to any student who can post a photo of lichen growing on moss and or lichen growing on leaves.

I've got the term for growing on leaves, it is either foliicolous or (I guess more correctly) epiphyllous. MOBot has a great Bryological Glossary.

Here's a photo, copied from Duke U -

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A closeup photo of an epiphyllous lichen growing on an understory shrub, in lowland tropics. photo Chas Zartman

But what I liked even better was this quote:

'Lichens are fungi that have discovered agriculture'-- lichenologist Trevor Goward.

Here is a link that might be useful: Duke Lichen

For anyone who is interested in Lichens you may want to put this on your holiday wish list. Expensive yes but incredibly beautiful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lichens of North America

Now, I admit I know next to nothing about lichens, but, being a little competitive, I scoured my yard for an "extra credit" shot. I found this growth on an outdoor cedar planter. See that light-colored stuff growing on the moss??? Does that count??? Feel free to send me back to the remedial room...
Emily
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Another great picture - lichens and grass on sand. I'll see if I can photograph some this weekend. I don't recall any of ours growing as robust as yours though.

Nan,
Great extra credit picture of a folicolous lichen, I believe we are going to be returning to this photo when we start discussing the algal and fungal relationships of lichens. Great link.
Emily,
Oooo aaaa, great photo of a muscicolous  lichen growing *on* Moss, but I am giving you a second gold star for Moss growing *on* lichen as well (More gold stars if anyone discovers the term for that).
Ashley,
We will look forward to your photoÂs.

Growing *on* lignin (The binding agent that holds the cells in wood together) = lignicolous
**Please note that I could have used EmilyÂs wooden planter as an example of lignicolous but giving three gold stars goes against my nature.

What wonderful photos!
I love lichens and moss. They are fascinating, if one slows down and puts aside the need for huge floofy blooms (yeah, and I like my orchids too ;-)

May I again recommend the book "Gathering Moss" which treats mainly moss, but also lichens. A wonderful and informative read.

When my son was still pretty small, we were walking over a large section of bare ground, covered with lichens and mosses. I explained to him that they were living plants, and that lichens especially were important for helping to break down rock particles and such into new soil, which took many years. Thus, becoming aware and even concerned, he tried tip toeing around the lichens and moss patches, though it was impossible not to step on them. (Gosh, that was cute. )

Looking forward to more of the beautiful photo portraits - Cheers
Maryanne in WMass

Hi all
If you like to grow moss on small rock, drift wood or moss ball ( I am not kidding) . It is easy . you don't have to wait years to grow moss on drift wood or smallor large rock and moss ball. To make moss ball you need cotton sock, clay soil, spaghnum moss, black thead for sewing.
Once I settle in Salem, Mas , I take photo and share with you how to make moss ball with some small plants, weeds , or tree or how to grow moss on rock , drift woods, cup, dish. In Japanese term it is called "Koke dama" koke= moss, dama=ball.
I am makeing lot's of kokedama and growing moss on small rock and drift wood while I'm in Georgia. by the end of Feburary, it will be picture perfect.
I may able to post photos before I move to Salem next spring.
it is new wave of growing moss.................. mike

After a bit of messing around I took some lichen photos and tried to insert them in my message but I got tired of figuring out how to reduce file size. So I posted them in the gallery. There's one picture that shows lichen with some unknown-to-me leathery-looking stuff that is prevalent around here. that stuff expands a bit and gets greener and floppier in Summer. Another pic shows a "lichen atol"

Here is a link that might be useful: lichen link

Ashley,
Those are some of the most amazing lichen photos I have ever seen they look as though the magnification is under a high powered microscope rather than a camera. I am concerned that the gallery doesn't keep photos very long. With my help would you be willing to re-post on a lichen 101 blog??? My hope is having the lichen blog up and running prior to the first of the year. I don't know what "lichen atol" means could you explain further?? Thanks kt

Dear Runktrun - glad you liked the photos. Sure, I'd appreciate a hint on posting pictures. By lichen atol I just meant that the lichen was growing in a circular formation like a coral atol, such as Bikini Atol in the the Pacific: creative license more than anything scientific. Now that I've looked the word up in the dictionary, I see it's spelled atoll.

Ashley,
I've got to say that your bird photographs are quite spectacular! The Tufted Titmouse is one of my favorite birds, and your shot captures it perfectly. The action shots are great too. Nice job.

Mike,
I am looking forward to those instructions on moss balls. I'm quite pleased that moss has decided to grow on the bricks that edge my garden, and would love to learn how to encourage more.

OK, KT, what's our next assignment? I'm all stoked up from my gold stars...;)

Emily

Ok, I have still been pondering the best location for our class room. What my very old non techie brain has begun to understand is there is no one perfect location for us. My current thought is that I create and recreate what we have done to date on a blog so at the end of our study/discovery we have a journal/book of our mutually compiled information. But where I think a blog would fall short is reaching other like minded lichen lovers...as you know we are rare and special people. What would you think of starting a lichen blog and anyone who shows an interest in the topic will be added as a member to our blog and will be able to post text and images? But we continue our discussion here on GW (repeated on the blog) to encourage future involvement from fellow lichen lovers. kt

Kt, that sounds like a good plan. I was hoping you would continue the thread here, and the blog as a second location seems about right. Thanks!
DtD

Uh-oh, some clarification needed for Emily. The bird shots and everything except the 3 lichen photos aren't mine.

I created a blog for our outlined info and photos and as time allows will add more links and info. It is much easier to post a photo on our blog than it is on GW because you can upload directly from your "My Pictures" folder or anywhere on the web without the hassle of having to first up load to an Internet photo hosting site. Please forward me your email address and I will send you a blogger invitation so that you can post on the blog. One thing you might want to keep in mind is it might be best if your blog "screen name" is the same as your GW screen name. My email is katyguerin@comcast.net
Now to continue with our class we have completed our first unit "Where Lichens Grow" Now we will move on to a new section "Lichen Growth Forms". Can someone provide us with a photo/info on
leafy lichen = foliose

Here is a link that might be useful: Lichen 101 Blog

Ok it is the new year and although my college freshman has a three week break I am a task master and have posted Ashley's lichen photo on the lichen blog. I did this not only beacuse it is a great photo but it portays very well something about foliose lichens that I discovered on the link below. Lets discuss.
Next asighnment either info or photo or both of squamulose lichen

Here is a link that might be useful: Back Yard Nature Foliose Lichen