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A trekkies dream: the mutual symbiant
In the northern regions, like Norway, this reindeer lichen is the main source of food for wild reindeer. It is a protected lichen and forbidden to pick or take home for us humans. It grows with a rate of only 3 to 5 mm each year. First I did not understand why it had to be protected, but now I understand: when trampled or picked it will takes 10s and 10s of years for it to reach adulthood again..
The interesting part is that it is not a 'single entity' but a combination. It is a mutual of a type of fungus and an algae: the combination is called 'thallus'.
''Cladonia rangiferina'', also known as reindeer lichen , lat., is a light-colored, fruticose lichen belonging to the Cladoniaceae family. It grows in both hot and cold climates in well-drained, open environments. Found primarily in areas of alpine tundra, it is extremely cold-hardy.
Other common names include reindeer moss and caribou moss, but these names may be misleading since it is not a moss. As the common names suggest, reindeer lichen is an important food for reindeer , and has.. more
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