Green Lichen on Tree Bark Nature Round Cushion

Green lichen on tree bark! Lichen is one of the most amazing organisms in nature. Give this to anyone who enjoys the wonders of the natural world. Lichens love to live on tree bark, among other places, and in this detail photo you can see the rough and rugged lines and organic shapes of the bark with a cloak of green foliose lichen. Like mosses, lichens are edible but not very tasty unless you're a reindeer. Still, if you're lost in the forest without breakfast, it may be an attractive proposition. There are about 20 000 types of lichen throughout the known world, covering about six percent of the Earth's land mass. Lichen is one of the oldest living organisms and covers about 6% of the world's land surface. Common in the natural environment, lichen looks like a rugged little plant spread out over tree trunks and rocks in various colours and shapes, or morphologies. It's easily mistaken for moss, but lichen and moss are not related. Lichens can grow almost anywhere, from equatorial jungle to arctic realms, even inside solid rock or free floating in air. Lichens may have tiny, leafless branches (fruticose), flat leaf-like structures (foliose), flakes that lie on the surface like peeling paint (crustose), a powdery appearance (leprose), or other forms. They can also be jelly-like, stringy or wispy like hairs. The shape and colour of the lichen depend on the types of algae and fungus that comprise it, specifically the organisation of fungal filaments. Close-up photo detail enlargment of green lichen on tree bark by M Sylvia Chaume, Canada. Have a happy day.