Pine Tree-Dwelling Lichens

When I am walking around the village in Gayo Highland of Aceh Province, I found mysterious plant attached on the trunk of pine trees. It’s mysterious and unique with bright bluish green color. I was thinking it’s a kind of fungi or moss. But I am not really sure about that. Then, I am searching on google what exactly the plant is.

After browsing I found the name of the plant is “Lichens”. Yeah, actually Lichen is composed of two or more dissimilar organisms that create a symbiotic relationship to produce new vegetative body that is called a thallus. I am really surprised to know that this organism is 80% fungi. It means fungi filaments make up about 80% of the lichen body. And the green color is made up by green algae. Oh, I am acting like a botanist. I am trying to know more about this 80% fungi, 20% algae organism.Source

I took the pictures using smartphone camera (Iphone 12 Pro). I took several angles of the lichens. You know, apparently Lichens do not harm the tree where it’s attached. They produces their own food using sunlight energy. So, it doesn’t take the food from the bark. And they do not penetrate too deep into the bark.

I think the farmers no need to worry about the Lichens. They are not parasites. But, I believe not every farmer know about Lichens, so that they would think that Lichens are harmful for their trees.