An Introduction to Lichen 

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Great question! So, no the fungal spores disperse independently of the photobiont ... its not very clearly understood how the spores find their partner in the wild ... one idea is that the spores manage to 'steal' photobiont cells from other lichens or lichen propagules. By propagules I mean the vegetative reproduction structures (typically soredia -- powdery bits -- or isidia -- peggy bits) that lichens produce asexually, which will contain parts of both fungus and photobiont. These aren't spores, but they must often be a more reliable form of dispersal, since they are quite widespread throughout the group. My favourite introductory work on lichens is this book by William Purvis books.google.co.uk/books/about/LICHENS_PB.html?id=mAhuQgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y Cheers, Joe

animistix wow! That is amazing, and it poses more questions than it answers! Can this fungus survive without its photobiont? What sort of explanations have been given for how such symbiotic relationships began? Can the fungus accidentally pick up a different photibiont? And if so, is it called a different Lichen? Thanks for the book recommendation. I have managed to find a copy and ordered it. Hopefully it will begin to answer some of my questions! You may well have ignited a life-long interest.

I have a feeling the photobiont cells are dispersed by rain, they probably originated in the sea as all life did and first made it onto land that way. By eroding and consuming rocks, lichens produce a kind of primitive soil that mosses can colonise. When the moss dies it decomposes and enriches the soil further. Lichen are probably the origin of soil itself... what are they for? They're the reason there's life on the land at all!

My favourite introductory work on lichens is this book by William Purvis books.google.co.uk/books/about/LICHENS_PB.html?id=mAhuQgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y For field guides to the British Isles and Ireland species, check out the latest edition by Frank Dobson.

Tom Stenning I’m diving into this one, www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300082495/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, available on Amazon. I’ve already got the companion book, Keys to Lichens of North America by Irwin M. Brodo.

Peace indeed. The collection and processing of cudbear (Ochrolechis sp.) for dyes was a very large industry in 18th and 19th Century Scotland www.scottisharchivesforschools.org/naturalScotland/Cudbear.asp

Its called a hand lens or loupe. You want one with LED illumination. Search for LED loupe on ebay.

Thanks for this suggestion C O we have taken it!

WoodlandsTV It’s beautiful! I love it :)

I believe it was Wolf Lichen

Probably only in a crisis! I'm told that the first nations peoples of NW America used to eat Bryoria (which looks like horesehair). It's not very appetising looking , and I think it was only really eaten in hard times!