Thanks to the excessive amounts of moisture on the west side of the Cascades, Washington is a great place to find and learn about lichens. Many might not realize that lichens are fungi, but they are! In fact, lichens are the product of a symbiotic relationship between a fungi and green algae and/or cyanobacteria. The fungi provides a home and protection, while the “green stuff” provides nutrients via photosynthesis.
Today we’ll be talking about one particular local lichen, Lobaria pulmonaria.
Lobaria pulmonaria (left) next to one of its common look-alikes, Lobaria oregana (right). L. pulmonaria has much smoother edges and is not so white on its underside.
