UMary Allen
I-lichen luluntu phakathi kwe-alga kunye ne-fungus. Ngoko i-lichen ayisosityalo. Uluntu olunjalo lukwabizwa ngokuba yi-symbiosis. Livela kwisiGrike kwaye lithetha "ukuhlala kunye". Ubulembu bunika umngundo izondlo ezingakwaziyo ukuzivelisa ngokwawo. Umngundo unika inkxaso kubulembu kwaye bubunike namanzi kuba abunazingcambu. Ngale ndlela, bobabini bayancedana.
Ubulembu buba nemibala eyahlukeneyo. Ezinye zimhlophe, ezinye zimthubi, ziorenji, zibomvu nzulu, zipinki, ziluhlaza, zingwevu, okanye zimnyama. Oko kuxhomekeke ekubeni yeyiphi imngundo ehlala kunye ne-algae. Kukho malunga nama-25,000 eentlobo ze-lichen kwihlabathi jikelele, apho malunga nama-2,000 afumaneka eYurophu. Zikhula ngokucothayo kwaye zinokukhula kakhulu. Ezinye iindidi zide ziphile amakhulu eminyaka.
I-Lichens ineendlela ezintathu ezahlukeneyo zokukhula: I-Crustacean lichens ikhula ngokuqinileyo kunye ne-substrate. Amagqabi okanye ubulembu obuvuthulukileyo bukhula bumcaba kwaye bukhululekile emhlabeni. I-Shrub lichens inamasebe.
I-Lichens ifumaneka kuyo yonke indawo. Zinokufumaneka ehlathini emithini, kwiingcingo zegadi, ematyeni, eludongeni nakwiglasi okanye kwitoti. Banyamezela ubushushu nengqele eninzi. Baziva bekhululekile kakhulu xa kupholile kuthi bantu. Ngoko i-lichens ayifuni ngokwendawo yokuhlala okanye ubushushu, kodwa ayiphenduli kakuhle emoyeni ongcolileyo.
Ubulembu bufunxa ukungcola okusemoyeni kodwa abakwazi ukukukhulula kwakhona. Ngoko ke, apho umoya umbi khona, akukho lichens. Ukuba umoya awungcoliseki kancinci, kukhula kuphela i-crustacean lichens. Kodwa ukuba ine-crust lichen kunye ne-leaf lichen, umoya awubi kakhulu. Umoya ongcono kakhulu apho zikhula khona, kwaye ezinye iilengu ziyakuthanda apho. Iingcali zenzululwazi zithatha eli thuba kwaye zisebenzisa i-lichen ukuchonga umgangatho wokungcola komoya.