Mosses, Liverworts, and Lichens
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Ramalina spp.
Description
Twig lichens, or ramalina lichens, are branching, shrubby lichens that grow in tufts from a single point. They are grayish green, and the branches are distinctively flattened.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Parmotrema spp.
Description
Ruffle lichens are rather large, broad-lobed foliose lichens that are loosely attached to the substrate. The rounded edges of the lobes usually lift up and look ruffled. Hairlike cilia arise from the lobe edges. They usually grow on tree bark.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Dermatocarpon spp.
Description
Stippleback lichens, or rock tripes, are almost always found on bluffs, boulders, and outcrops. They cling to their substrate by a single point of attachment and typically grow in clusters. The surface of these floppy-looking lichens is covered with tiny black dots.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Peltigera canina
Description
Dog tooth lichen, Peltigera canina, is a foliose lichen that usually grows on soil. It’s common and easy to identify. The spore-bearing structures are rusty brown and rolled, standing upright at the lobe tips.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Xanthoria spp. (also Xanthomendoza; Polycauliona)
Description
Orange sunburst lichens are orange or yellow orange. They have a circular, foliose growth pattern with tiny, branching lobes, but this pattern is often lost when these lichens form masses of tiny scale-like fragments. They can be very common on sunny rocks and tombstones.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
About 436 species in Missouri
Description
A lichen is a composite organism formed by certain fungus species that join with certain algae species. Lichens can be many colors and can be crusty, leaflike, flaky, branching, or mossy. They grow on rocks, trees, or other surfaces.
See Also
About Mosses, Liverworts, and Lichens in Missouri
Mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens seem rather similar, but these organisms are in very different groups. Mosses, liverworts, and hornworts are small, low plants usually found in damp habitats. Unlike more familiar plants, they lack veinlike structures and do not produce flowers or seeds — instead, they produce spores. Meanwhile, lichens are not plants at all: they are a collection of different fungi that have photosynthetic algae living within their tissues.