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Glite Dictionary
lichenicolous

lichenicolous

1 9.9
Living on lichens that grow on rocks or tree bark
  • adjective
  • /ˌlaɪkəˈnɪkələs/
  • Specialized
: licenicoloso
  • lichenicolous fungi

Examples

  • In all, 600 lichens and 82 lichenicolous and allied fungi have been recorded from Eagle Hill Institute and its vicinity.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Seven taxa (1 lichen and 6 lichenicolous fungi) are additional to the North American checklist (cf. Esslinger 2017); notes on these and some other interesting taxa are provided.

    Academic text (2017)

  • There are several records of this lichenicolous basidiomycete from Maine, as well as Matane, QC, Canada, in the NYBG (2017) database collected by William Buck or Richard Harris on Platismatia glauca.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Some species of lichenicolous fungi can only thrive on specific types of lichens.

  • The lichenicolous organisms contribute to the complex ecosystem of the lichen community.

  • Researchers discovered a new lichenicolous species that grows exclusively on rock-dwelling lichens.

Surface Forms

lichenicolous positive

Morphology

lichenicolous = lichen (semi-transparent) = lichen + icolous

The word is compositionally built from 'lichen' plus the learned adjectival suffix '-icolous', but the suffix is technical enough that many B1 learners would not fully infer the meaning.

Etymology

Lichenicolous is made from lichen (the small, plant-like organism you see on rocks and trees) and the ending -colous, which means 'living on' or 'dwelling among'. So, lichenicolous describes organisms that live on or grow with lichens.