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Description of  Lichenpedia: A Brief Compendium (Pedia Books, 11)

0691239908 pdf An illustrated mini-encyclopedia about the weird and wonderful world of lichens Lichenpedia is a delightfully entertaining and beautifully illustrated AZ treasury about the strange, obscure, and remarkable world of lichens, from their unique and essential roles in nature and the ways they are used in dyeing, brewing, and drug-making to how they have inspired writers and artists, from Henry David Thoreau to modern painters. In 100 brief entries written in a vivid, lively style, Kay Hurley introduces key aspects of lichen biology, environmental roles, emerging uses, scientific history, and myth. She describes the variety of forms that lichens take, from leafy to filamentous to things reminiscent of skin diseases, with imaginative names like witchs hair. She explains the surprising ways that birds and beastsfrom reindeer and moose down to tiny tardigradesuse lichens, and how lichens survive in extreme environments, from deserts to Antarctica to outer space. Hurley also introduces some of the innovators who have advanced the knowledge of lichens, from the ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus to todays professional lichenologists. With charming drawings by Susan Adele Edwards, Read more