Xanthoria elegans, Elegant Sunburst Lichen

I found a brilliant orange lichen last weekend along the north shore of Lake Huron. It’s Elegant Sunburst Lichen (Xanthoria elegans). Bird excrement provides the needed fertilizer and the lichen grows in spots under likely bird perches.

Lichens are composed of three elements: algae, fungus, and cyanobacteria. Trevor Goward, the noted lichenologist from British Columbia, once remarked, “Lichens are fungi that have discovered agriculture.” He believes that the fungus benefits the most in this relationship. About 800 species of lichens are recorded from Michigan.

Xanthoria elegans, Elegant Sunburst Lichen
close-up

I know Elegant Sunburst Lichen for a different reason; this is the “space lichen.” The European Space Agency sent this lichen to the International Space Station and exposed it to the vacuum of space. After surviving for 18 months by drying up and going dormant, it began to grow when given water upon returning to Earth. These are tough little plants.