Story: Lichens

Lichens on an abandoned car

Lichens on an abandoned car

Lichens can thrive on many different surfaces. The surfaces they naturally grow on are rock, soil, plants, other lichens, and sometimes the fur or shells of animals. Lichens also colonise artificial surfaces such as glass, metal, asphalt roads and plastic. This car has been abandoned on farmland near Kaikōura for a number of years, and is now covered in lichens.

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Private collection
Photograph by Simon Nathan

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How to cite this page:

Maggy Wassilieff, 'Lichens - Features and life history', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/10981/lichens-on-an-abandoned-car (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Maggy Wassilieff, published 24 Sep 2007