Stats

Lifespan

Up to 100 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Temperate rainforest

Range

Northern Hemisphere

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Spores

Defense

Toxins

Status

Common

About

This large, leafy lichen grows on the bark of old trees in humid forests, its lobed and pitted surface resembling lung tissue. It is actually a partnership of a fungus, a green alga, and a cyanobacterium living together, and its presence signals exceptionally clean air.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   spore

   A microscopic spore drifts on air or water and germinates where moisture and substrate meet.
2. 2.
   mycelium

   A thread-like mycelium spreads through the substrate, breaking it down into nutrients.
3. 3.
   fruiting body

   A mature fruiting body emerges to release the next generation of spores.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Fungi

Phylum

Ascomycota

Class

Lecanoromycetes

Order

Peltigerales

Family

Lobariaceae

Genus

Lobaria

Species

Lobaria pulmonaria