Lichens

On the exposed rock on top of the mountains out back grow many interesting lichens. Macro photographs show very interesting colours, shapes and textures.

When I view these type of photos I think about how hardy the organisms that make up lichens (fungi & algae) must be. They grow in the harshest conditions we can imagine; on exposed solid rock near the the tops of mountains, near oceans and rivers. They occur all around the planet and have been in existence for around 400 million years. I imagine there are varieties of lichens that have not been discovered yet.