Lichen are quite fascinating, and this example displays quite a range of shapes and good strong colour when looked at closely.
Xanthoria parietina is a foliose, or leafy, lichen. It has wide distribution, and many common names such as common orange lichen, yellow scale, maritime sunburst lichen and shore lichen. It can be found near the shore on rocks or walls (hence the epithet parietina meaning "on walls"), and also on inland rocks, walls, or tree bark. This example is growing on a twig of a hawthorn bush in an area of scrub land close to the former Clifton Hospital in York.
This is fascinating Ian and so pretty in close-up. I seem to remember reading somewhere that lichens are composite organisms (most often fungi and algae) living in a symbiotic relationship. I don't recall having seen this variety, so thanks for sharing.
Your comments and favs are much appreciated - this is a quite different type of shot to most that I post, so I'm pleased that you like it. Close-up work is quite a challenge with a bridge camera, so I was pleased with the result here.
Richard, you were quite right - Wikipedia says 'A lichen is a composite organism that emerges from algae or cyanobacteria (or both) living among filaments of a fungus in a mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship. The whole combined life form has properties that are very different from properties of its component organisms'.
Your comments and favs are much appreciated - this is a quite different type of shot to most that I post, so I'm pleased that you like it. Close-up work is quite a challenge with a bridge camera, so I was pleased with the result here.
Richard, you were quite right - Wikipedia says 'A lichen is a composite organism that emerges from algae or cyanobacteria (or both) living among filaments of a fungus in a mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship. The whole combined life form has properties that are very different from properties of its component organisms'.
Ian