species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Rhizocarpaceae. It is found in Europe, where it has a scattered distribution.
''Rhizocarpon furax'' is a
lichenicolous fungi
A lichenicolous fungus is a parasitic fungus that only lives on lichen as the host. A lichenicolous fungus is not the same as the fungus that is the component of the lichen, which is known as a lichenized fungus. They are most commonly specific to ...
, meaning that it grows on the
thallus
Thallus (plural: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. Many of these organisms wer ...
of other lichens. It was originally reported from '' Lecidea swartzioidea'' but has since been reported growing on ''
Lecidea lapicida
''Lecidea lapicida'' is a species of lichen in the family Lecideaceae. It has a worldwide distribution but it is rare in the tropics.
''Lecidea lapicida'' is a known host species to the lichenicolous fungus species '' Muellerella erratica'', '' ...