Simple Plants: Lichens, Mosses, & Ferns
LICHENS
Lichen is not a single organism but rather two separate organisms living together. Lichen is made of an alga and a fungus living together. Both organisms benefit by living together. The algae are able to make food by photosynthesis and they shares this food with the fungus, which is unable to make its own food. The fungus in turn, provides water and minerals for the alga. The fungus is made up of tiny, threadlike structures that are able to retain water and provide a place for the one-celled alga to live. The type of relationship where both organisms benefit is known as mutualism.
Lichen Research Program
LICHENS OF NORTH AMERICA
Lichen Information System
Lichen Herbarium
OSU Lichen & Bryophyte Research Group
MOSSES
Mosses and their allies are small green plants that are simlutaneously overlooked and deeply appreciated by the typical nature lover. On the one hand, very few people pay attention to individual moss plants and species. On the other hand, it is the mosses that imbues our forests with that wonderful lush "Rainforest" quality which soothes the soul and softens the contours of the earth.These wonderfully soft carpets of green are, in fact, Nature's second line of attack in its war against rocks. After lichens have created a foothold in rocks the mosses move in, ultimately becoming a layer of topsoil for higher plants to take root. The mosses also hold loose dirt in place, thus preventing landslides.
Mosses and Allies
Mosses and liverworts, simple plants?
Index of Mosses Database
Mosses
FERNS
About 97% of living Pteridophytes are ferns. In fact, there are probably about 12,000 species of ferns in the world, most of these found in the tropics. Unlike the fern allies which are a relic group, the ferns are highly successful and are virtually found in any habitat flowering plants are found. There are climbing ferns, aquatic ferns, tree ferns, filmy ferns with leaves just one cell thick, epiphytic ferns and, of course, ferns of a more conventional herbaceous habit.
The Ferns
Introduction to the Pteridopsida
Ferns
Checklist of World Ferns
HISTORY OF PALAEOZOIC FORESTS
FOSSIL FERNS
