 Fruticose lichens don't
look at all like fruits. The word "fruticose" is a technical term meaning
"shrubby," and many fruticose lichens, such as the one at the right, do indeed
look like miniature shrubs an inch or so high. The one in the picture is on a twig, and
the lichen is 3/4-inch tall (2 cm). Notice the cuplike items at the end of many of the
lichen's branches. These are the reproductive cups, which are fungal in nature. |