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Black Tufted Lichen Lichina pygmaea
Typically found on exposed sunny rock faces, this lichen looks rather like a seaweed, being fruticose (bushlike) in form with branching, brownish black, flattened lobes. Its fruiting bodies form in small swellings at its branch tips. It is often seen growing in association with barnacles but does not tolerate algal (seaweed) growth. Its compact growth and rigid branches provide a refuge for several mollusks, particularly Lasaea rubra, a small, pink-shelled gastropod. All Lichina species are limited to coastal habitats.
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- Phylum Ascomycota
- Width_lobes To in (1.5 cm)
- Habitat Lower littoral fringe to middle shore, regularly covered by the tide
- Distribution Northeast Atlantic from Norway to northwest Africa
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