Interesting stuff John. I have noticed that in most areas where orchids
grow in the wild there is
always lichen & or moss close by.?.
Cheers Wendy
"John - Pa." wrote in message
...
On the trunk of an old cherry tree in our back yard.

"Lichens are symbiotic associations of a fungus (the mycobiont) with a
photosynthetic partner (the photobiont also known as the phycobiont)
that can produce food for the lichen from sunlight...The
photosynthetic partner can exist in nature independently of the fungal
partner, but not vice versa. Furthermore, photobiont cells are
routinely destroyed in the course of nutrient exchange. The
association is able to continue because photobiont cells reproduce
faster than they are destroyed."

"Although the form of a lichen is determined by the genetic material
of the fungal partner, association with a photobiont is required for
the development of that form... Some survive in the tough conditions
of deserts, and others on frozen soil of the arctic regions. Recent
ESA research shows that lichen can even endure extended exposure to
space."

Wikipedia

Canon 10D
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e-mail: blissful-wind(at)usa.net

Additional images at;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/john-pa/