Lichen – a unique fungal organism

Writer: Dr Anina Lee.

On a beautiful early-spring day in Hermanus, I took a stroll on the famous Cliff Path. Being of a certain age and with more metal in my hips than I care to admit, I sat down on a convenient bench and tried a little whale-spotting. Since there did not appear to be cetaceans of any kind within view, my gaze drifted to the rocks forming the cliff along which the path meanders.

Lichens come in many forms and colours. PHOTOS: Science Minus Details & The Economist

What fantastic shapes and colours meet the eye! The red lichens on many of the rocks are particularly noticeable. Why are they red and what exactly are lichens anyway? To start, lichen is pronounced ‘liken’. Some people say lichen to rhyme with ‘kitchen’, but we don't really do that in South Africa.

Red lichen on the sandstone cliffs along the Hermanus Cliff Path. PHOTO: Anina Lee

What are lichens? A lichen, or lichenised fungus, is actually two organisms functioning as a single, stable unit. Lichens are composed of a fungus, living in a close symbiotic relationship with an alga or a cyanobacterium.

Lichens come in many forms and colours. PHOTOS: Science Minus Details & The Economist

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 20)