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What are Lichens?
Lichen is a plant found on rocks or trees made of both a specific fungus and specific algae that help one another.
The fungal component of a lichen absorbs water and nutrients from the surroundings and provides a suitable environment for the alga. These live protected among the dense fungal hyphae and produce carbohydrates for the fungus by photosynthesis.
Lichens come in many colours, sizes, and forms and are sometimes plant-like, but lichens are not plants. Lichens 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.
Lichens occur from sea level to high alpine elevations, in many environmental conditions, and can grow on almost any surface. Lichens are abundant growing on bark leaves, mosses, and on other lichens, and hanging from branches in rain forests and in temperate woods.
It is estimated that 6% of Earth's land surface is covered by lichens. There are about 20,000 known species of lichens.
An example of a lichen is the coloured patch growing on a tree branch.