Trentepohlia aurea Algae

The orange stuff surrounding this lichen is Trentepohlia aurea algae. Trentepohlia algae are green algae that can live symbiotically with lichens, such as Graphis scripta. The filaments of Trentepohlia are orange because they contain a large quantity of carotenoid pigments, which mask the green of the chlorophyll.

Habitat: On a tree in a deciduous forest

comments (4)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Beautiful! Aren't lichen in itself a symbiotic relation between fungi and algae? Posted 6 years ago
1. Christine Young
  
  Lion
  
  Yes! They are composite organisms between algae or Cyanobacteria and fungi. Posted 6 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    So does that mean this is an algae having a symbiotic relation with an organism that itself is a symbiotic relation between another algae and a fungi?
    
    I'm going for the inception effect here. Posted 6 years ago
  2. 1. Christine Young
      
      Lion
      
      Exactly...a relationship within a relationship, and they are all waiting for the kick. Posted 6 years ago

The Orange Rock Hair

''Trentepohlia aurea'' is a species of filamentous terrestrial green alga with a worldwide distribution. It grows on rocks, old walls and the trunks and branches of trees such as oaks and the Monterey cypress where the tree occurs in coastal central California. The orange coloration results from carotenoid pigments in the algal cells. It is probably the most widespread and abundant species of ''Trentepohlia'' in the Britain and Ireland.

Info 2 0

Similar species: Trentepohliales

Species identified by Christine Young