I love the many innovative ways living things have evolved on our planet, and one of my favorite innovators are the lichens. These organisms consist of a combination of both fungi and algae - members of 2 of the major phylum of living things (you can't get much different than that). And while they might not stand out if you are not looking for them, they have adapted to virtually every terrestrial environment on Earth. In the Pacific Northwest alone, there are more than 1500 identified types of lichen!
These pale grey lichens growing on a granodiorite boulder, are members of a major subgroup known as the crustose lichens. Their name comes from the fact that they form a thin crust, that can look like splotches of paint or dirt on the surface of rocks and trees.
(October 2022)