Lecanora

The genus Lecanora comprises crustose lichens, which are a type of lichen characterized by a crust-like growth form that adheres closely to a surface. These lichens are part of the order Lecanorales, which includes lichens that produce apothecia, or fruiting bodies.12

Lichens themselves are composite organisms formed from a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria. The fungal component is known as the mycobiont, and the photosynthetic partner is the phycobiont. In Lecanora species, the apothecia have a disk surrounded by a pale margin. Some lichens, including those in the genus Lecanora, have been historically used for dyeing and as a food source, such as the manna lichen.341