Yesterday’s excursion onto the rocks was inspiring. Most of the rock here is millstone grit. The lichens seem to favour particular spots. Only the fungus of lichen reproduce sexually. This means lichen can spread both sexually or non-sexually. Without going into too much scientific detail (which I’d only be reading online and then writing here), special parts of the lichen can break off and be carried great distances. Visually the maritime sunburst lichen decorate the rocks beautifully. The water extract of this lichen apparently has good anti-viral properties in vitro. In the past it was used as a remedy for jaundice because of its yellow colour.
