Lichens
[HISTORY|VISITING|HOURS] [RESTORATION]
Lichens most of our species can be identified from information on this site or from the books authored by same.
Wikipedia
This is THE book you want. A Field Guide to California Lichens by Stephen Sharnoff and Peter H. Raven, May 27, 2014. Website has links to THE guide for all of North America and excellent explanation on how to identify lichens (not easy, chemical tests involved) Amazon $32.50 paperback
A lichen is a symbiotic organism comprised of fungal and algal components.
As seen at the Point Pinos Lighthouse
Common greenshield lichen [Wikipedia]: seen mostly on trees and sometimes rocks. One of our benches in this case.
Ramalina farinacea [Wikipedia]: seen mostly on trees at low elevations.
Cyanobacteria [Wikipedia]: thought to evolved some 2 billion years ago. The algae part of the lichen pair. Needs damp conditions. a.k.a. blue-green algae. Can be found in streams in long strands. By genetic engineering it might be a source of safe hydrogen production.
Usnea perplexans Not sure of this one at all, but all over the place on trees at lighthouse.
More identifications to come. This is NOT easy and will take some time to complete. I found at least eight species on a bench alone. Add in trees and rocks, it goes up from there.
Many lichens are in decline, being sensitive to air pollution and other human actions. Our loss.