This is fascinating. Who knew lichen could be so fascinating. This reads like a fictional crime novel.
Or, as we used to say in the Army medics, “At ease disease, there’s fungus among us.”
Lichens are amazing. I can’t help wondering if there are cases where the same species of algae or fungus appears in more than one different lichen partnership.
I have to say that is pretty freaking awesome. My old mycology textbooks are now just a little bit more obsolete :D.