The coastal rocks of the NE and NW shores of North America are often brightened by growths of orange/yellow lichens. Several species in several genera live just above the high tide level and well into the splash zone.
This is the Maritime Sunburst Lichen (Xanthoria parietina).
I am indebted to Dr. Stephen Clayden for the ID and the following comments:
- sp. name refers to the fungal part; the photosynthetic component is a green alga in the genus Trebouxia.
- the lower yellow thallus shows a 'foliose' growth
- the small yellow cups (left bottom) are young fruiting structures (apothecia)
- the orange crinkly stuff (top) (my words, not Stephen's) are older apothecia
- the orange pigment is an anthraquinone that has a photoprotective function.
I did not take measurements but the thallus grows at 3-5 mm a year; so this yellow thallus perhaps 4 mm wide.
D2Xs+200mm AF Micro Nikkor + 5T close-up lens; ISO 200, 1/60s @ f22; sunlight; full frame
but there is just something about lichens that interests me. I have always considered them to be simple little organisms, though they are quite complex and it is amazing, the substrates that they can appear on. Really nice images. 