Lichens are peculiar organisms, a hybrid between an alga or/and blue-green alga (a relative of bacteria) and a kind of fungi. Each component, known as a symbiont, benefits from each other. As a result, lichens can live a very long time and can survive in harsh environments such as dry, sandy soil, the dry bark of trees, and on stone, brick, and rock. Many of those species that live on tomb stones or walls originally evolved on natural rock faces. Different lichens grow on stones depending on whether they are limestone or acidic stone. Lichens often so old that some of the larger ones can be as ancient as the stones themselves. I will also look at the physical type of lichen and show how they reproduce. Most species of lichen are not labelled with common English names, but we can have fun making some up.
Meeting Place: Main cemetery entrance off Cemetery Road
Grid Ref: SU 412 136
Postcode: SO15 7AF
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