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Trumpet lichen. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of trumpet lichen (Cladonia fimbriata). The stalked cup structures are fruiting bodies known as podetia. Moss (green) is seen growing at the base of the lichen. Lichens are organisms formed by the symbiotic association of a fungus and a green alga or cyanobacterium. They are able to produce nutrients through photosynthesis by the algal cells, and also absorb minerals from rainwater or acidic digestion of the substrate. Cladonia lichen are classified as fruticose lichen due to the presence of erect structures. Magnification: x21 when printed 10 centimetres wide. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/EYE OF SCIENCE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)