Foliicolous
Encyclopedia
Foliicolous refers to the growth habit of certain lichen
s, algae
, and fungi that prefer to grow on the leaves of vascular plants. There have been about 700 species of foliicolous lichens identified, most of which are found in the tropics.
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
s, algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
, and fungi that prefer to grow on the leaves of vascular plants. There have been about 700 species of foliicolous lichens identified, most of which are found in the tropics.