Lichens
You have probably heard that Freddy Fungus and Alice Algae took a Lichen to each other. And it is true that a fungus joins with an algae or cyanobacteria to produce a lichen. The alga or cyanobacterium produces food by converting energy from the sun and carbon dioxide into sugars, while the fungus forms the main structure of the lichen and protects the alga from the environment.
However, recent research shows that there is a new partner in this symbiotic relationship. Lichens have been found to also contain basidiomycete yeasts which help ward off predators and repel microbes. This has created a whole new area for lichen research.
There are three types of lichens, crustose, foliose, and fruticose. Crustose lichens are a simple form that attaches firmly to mature bark or rock. Foliose are loosely attached to substrates by tough black fibers and grow in flat leaf-like lobes or rosettes. Fruticose are the most advanced lichens, with three-dimensional branches and cup-like structures. Some fruticose lichens hang down while others are erect and shrub-like.
Lichens are indicators of healthy air quality as they will not grow in polluted air spaces. The Lace Lichen in the Elfin Forest is especially sensitive to air pollution. So, enjoy the clean air if you visit the Elfin Forest.
Lichen have been used by native peoples. Lichens also provide nesting and burrowing materials for many birds and small mammals. They are also eaten by herbivores. In the Elfin Forest hummingbirds and bushtits will use lichens to build their nests.
Foliose type
Cladonia firma
- Grows on sand or soil
- Found in coastal sage scrub and chaparral
- Foliose type of lichen
Hypogymnia minilobata
- Foliose type of lichen
- Grows on chaparral shrubs
- Found in coastal California and Channel Islands
- Especially found in Los Osos, California
Flavopunctelia flaventior
- Foliose type of lichen
- Grows in southern California
- Especially common in oak forests
Fruticose Type
Teloschites flavicons
- Fruticose type of lichen
- Grows on woody shrubs in chaparral and open areas in oak woodlands
- Distinct saffron-colored pigmentation
- Grows in small erect tufts or clusters of entangled branches
Ramalina menziesii
- Fruticose type of lichen
- Forms large clusters and colonies
- In 2015 named the California State Lichen
- Mistakenly called Spanish Moss
Usnea rubicunda
- Fruticose type of lichen
- Grows on woody branches in coastal shrub and chaparral
- Have a high concentration of Usnic acid, for which they are named
Crustiose Type
Lecanora caesiorubella
- Crustose type of lichen
- Grows on hard wood bark
- Pale gray in color
- Prominent cup shaped apothecia