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Lichens

Lichen On Rock, Close Up

Cathy Sharp, Zimbabwe’s fungus expert, also tells us about lichen (sometimes pronounced to sound like ‘liken,’ sometimes to sound like ‘kitchen’).  Lichens comes in many colours and sizes.

Lichen on tree bark, close up
Lichen on tree bark, close up

They may have tiny, leafless branches, flat, leaf-like structures, flakes that lie on the surface like peeling paint, a powder-like appearance, or other growth forms.  

Old man's beard 2
Old man’s beard

Lichens do not have roots that absorb water and nutrients as plants do. Lichens grow in many environmental conditions, and can grow on almost any surface.

Lichen on Domboshawa
Lichen on Domboshawa

Lichens are very unusual. They are not a plants. We talked about “symbioses” in the article on fungi where two species benefit from each other, for example, a tree and a fungus. Another symbiosis occur where an alga and a fungus grow together to form a lichen.

Lichen on Domboshawa
Lichen on Domboshawa, possible basis for the name “Red Rock”

A lichen is not a single organism the way most other living things are.  It is a combination of two organisms which live together intimately. Most of the lichen is composed of filaments of a fungus but living among the filaments are algal cells, usually from a green alga.

Lichen at Kyle Dam, near Masvingo
Lichen at Kyle Dam, near Masvingo

In some cases the fungus and the alga which together make the lichen may each be found living in nature without its partner, but many other lichens include a fungus which cannot survive on its own — it has become dependent on its algal partner for survival. In all cases though, the appearance of the fungus in the lichen is quite different from the separately growing individual.

Lichen on the walls of Great Zimbabwe
Lichen on the walls of Great Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has a wide range of lichens in many habitats – from the wet eastern forests to the dry mopane woodlands in the Zambezi V alley and south-east Lowveld. Exposed granite throughout Zimbabwe and the Matobo Hills have a large diversity of lichen species.

Gosho Park, near Marondera
Gosho Park, near Marondera

Lichen is sensitive to pollution. Usually one can say that if lichen is present the air quality is high.

Lichen on msasa, Haka Park, on Cleveland Dam
Lichen on msasa, Haka Park, on Cleveland Dam

– Robin Wild –

Paddy Pacey

Zimbabwean field guide and trainer of aspiring guides

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