Lichens are incredibly diverse and beautiful organisms but not many people seem to know a lot about them from what I can tell on iNaturalist.
When you've got two distinct organisms, a fungus and an algae, or cyanobacteria, living in a symbiotic relationship, I'm not sure how the usual classification of species works, as you don't have a single genetic organism but two.
I studied microbiology to third year at university although I didn't graduate, but I don't seem to recall anything about lichens, although we did spend quite a bit of time on cyanobacteria and fungi.
This little cutie was growing on a fallen piece of decaying wood on a normally very arid, exposed hillside about half an hour's walk from home.
#macrophotography #nature #nznature #lichens #inaturalist