Stats

Lifespan: Up to 30 yrs
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate forest
Range: Worldwide
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Spores
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

The candleflame lichen is a tiny, bright yellow-green foliose lichen that forms speckled patches on tree bark, wood, and even rock or concrete. Its lobes are so small and granular they can look more like a dusting of paint than a distinct organism.

Life cycle

1.
spore
A microscopic spore drifts on air or water and germinates where moisture and substrate meet.
2.
mycelium
A thread-like mycelium spreads through the substrate, breaking it down into nutrients.
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: Lichinomycetes
Order: Candelariales
Family: Candelariaceae
Genus: Candelaria
Species: Candelaria concolor