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A fruticose lichen may have flattened "branches", appearing similar to a foliose lichen, but the underside of a leaf-like structure on a fruticose lichen is the same color as the top side. The leaf-like lobes of a foliose lichen may branch, giving the appearance of a fruticose lichen, but the underside will be a different color from the top ...
Haustorium (pl. haustoria) – a root-like structure which allows the fungal partner to extract nutrients from its photosynthetic partner(s). [9] Lichen morphology – a lichen's external appearance and structures are very different than those of its individual partners. [10] Ascocarp – the fruiting body of a lichen, which contains the asci. [11]
Lichen planus may be categorized as affecting mucosal or cutaneous surfaces.. Cutaneous forms are those affecting the skin, scalp, and nails. [10] [11] [12]Mucosal forms are those affecting the lining of the gastrointestinal tract (mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, anus), larynx, and other mucosal surfaces including the genitals, peritoneum, ears, nose, bladder and conjunctiva of the eyes.
The outer "skin" of the lichen, the cortex, is composed of closely packed fungal hyphae and serves to protect the thallus from water loss due to evaporation as well as harmful effects of high levels of irradiation. In Xanthoria parietina, the thickness of the thalli is known to vary depending on the habitat in which it grows. Thalli are much ...
What it looks like: Purplish lesions on the inner arms, legs, wrists, or ankles can signify lichen planus, a skin rash triggered by an overreaction of the immune system.
An areolate lichen is the most common form of crustose lichen. [10] [11] As with all crustose lichens, it has a paint-like appearance, and is inseparable from the substrate on which it grows. However, its thallus is broken into regular polygonal sections, which can look a bit like cracked mud, flaking paint or little islands.
Like other lichens, Usnea often grows on sick or dying trees due to the pre-existing loss of canopy leaves, allowing for greater photosynthesis by the lichen's algae; this leads some gardeners to mistakenly blame the lichen for the tree's leaf loss and illness. [19] Usnea is very sensitive to air pollution, especially sulfur dioxide. [20]
A foliose lichen is a lichen with flat, leaf-like lobes, which are generally not firmly bonded to the substrate on which it grows. It is one of the three most common growth forms of lichens. It typically has distinct upper and lower surfaces, each of which is usually covered with a cortex ; some, however, lack a lower cortex.