Also, pay attention to where the lichen is growing. Some prefer to grow on rocks (like common greenshield’s almost indistinguishable cousin, rock greenshield). Others grow on the ground.

The green rock-posy lichen (center right) occurs on all continents, except Australia. Traditionally, the fungal partner of this lichen was considered to be a single species, but recently genetic ...

A walk in the woods this time of year will always yield some green, perhaps not leafy green, but the ever-present gray-green of the lichen provides some color and a reminder of summer as we head ...

Cyanobacteria will give the lichen a dark green, brown, or black color (The U.S. Forest Service: Lichen Biology).

Foliose lichens have undersides that are more easily detached from the rock. Common, green-gray foliose lichen found growing on rocks in the mid-Atlantic region is Flavoparmelia baltimorensis.

News Published: 24 July 1913 Antarctic Lichens 1 F. C. Nature 91, 541–542 (1913) Cite this article ...

Other common growth forms are crustose, crustlike lichens that grow tight against, even into, the substrate, and fruticose lichens, which grow as free-standing branches like tiny trees.