This time, I want to spotlight a kind of organism that no one ever really pays attention to. I photographed these Common Greenshield Lichen (Flavoparmelia caperata) around the Lexington Reservoir. These lichen are one of the most common lichen in North America, and are actually composed of two organisms–the fungus Flavoparmelia caperata and green algae–living symbiotically (the fungus is the dominant organism in their relationship, which is what give the lichen its name). These around found on trees everywhere, with a pale green surface that deepens in color when wet. It forms lobes at its edges, which wrinkle with age, and has rough patches at its center. These rough patches are its reproductive structures, and form algal cells that are enveloped in fungal hyphae (long, filaments that make up a fungus), and are distributed by the wind, allowing fungi to reproduce asexually.
Fun Fact: These usually occur on the north-facing side of trees, where they are not directly in the suns light and don’t risk dehydration.
Roehl, T. (2016, September 19). #080: Flavoparmelia caperata, The Common Greenshield Lichen. Retrieved from http://www.fungusfactfriday.com/080-flavoparmelia-caperata/
A Tour of Lexington's Biodiversity 