Xanthoria parietina lichen, growing on pine bark. Read more below! Learn more about our online courses on herbal medicine & aromatherapy in jointheflow.net Discover my books on bodywork and more: amzn.to/3xhaNey Xanthoria parietina prefers growing on bark and wood; it is found more rarely on rock. The upper surface is some shade of yellow, orange, or greenish yellow, almost green when growing in shady situations, while the lower surface is white, with a cortex, and with sparse pale rhizines or hapters. The outer "skin" of the lichen, the cortex, is composed of closely packed fungal hyphae and serves to protect the thallus from water loss due to evaporation as well as harmful effects of high levels of irradiation. In Xanthoria parietina, the thickness of the thalli is known to vary depending on the habitat in which it grows. Thalli are much thinner in shady locations than in those exposed to full sunshine; this has the effect of protecting the algae that cannot tolerate high light intensities. The lichen pigment parietin gives this species a deep yellow or orange-red color. The water extract of X. parietina has good antiviral activity in vitro, inhibiting the replication of human parainfluenza virus type 2. In the past it was used as a remedy for jaundice because of its yellow color. Photo taken by me, all rights reserved. Text credit: Wikipedia. #herbaleducation #xanthoria #deepecology #lichenology #ecology #lichen #lichens #greekforest #hikinggreece #medicinalplants #eatweeds #wildfoodlove #wildfood #myherbalstudies #botany #greekflora #greekfood #wildherbs #foragingforfood #herbalistsofinstagram #herbalremedies #foraging #plantallies (at Athens, Greece) https://www.instagram.com/p/CajV-JrMvXd/?utm_medium=tumblr