Hi everyone,
I've been seeing something strange going on with Ramalina spp. after a recent fire in Sonoma Co, CA. Some thalli, that appear to have been heat stressed but not completely toasted by the fire, have algae growing on them. I uploaded 4 photos in the gallery today, looks like they didn't get photos numbers. Can anyone help me figure out if this is a lichen photobiont?
Photos: 1) isolated algae, ~12 microns diam, 2) cross section of Ramalina menziesii with external algae, 3) close-up of algae growing on slightly toasted piece of R. menziesii, and 4) habit shot of R. menziesii post fire showing healthy, algae-infested, and charred thalli.