#Letrouitia domingensis

[lichenaday]

Letrouitia domingensis

This crustose lichen has a thallus that varies in texture from smooth to verrucose (wart-like), and color from green-yellow to pale yellow to yellow-orange. It has roundish apothecia with a distinctive orange-yellow margin, and red-brown to brown black apothecial disc. And what is in these apothecia? Have you been following this account for a while wondering what the fuck an apothecia is? It’s a fruiting body produced by the fungal constituent of the lichen symbiosis that releases the spores that will grow into new lichens (if they are able to pair up with photobiont partner). So contained within those apothecia are long tubes (asci) filled lil bb fungi. And in L. domingensis, the lil babies look like this: 

Aren’t they so cute??? I love them. So once they are expelled, these spores will colonize the bark of tropical and subtropical trees. And grow up to be just as adorable as they were in their infancy. 

images: source | source | source | source

info: source | source

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