Identify It > Lichens >
Lichens are tiny plants, which are usually a combination of at least two organisms - a fungus and an algae.
The alga uses sunlight to make sugars or food which will feed both the fungus and the alga. The fungus will create a body (called a 'thallus') which will house the organisms.
There are about 1700 British species, and they occupy a wide variety of habitats including bare stone walls and rocky shores. Others have even been found on glass and plastic, and a recent survey of a rarely cleaned car revealed over 20 different lichen species!