The biblical legend says that when Moses led his people through the desert, and all food supplies were eaten, exhausted people were ready to die of hunger. But suddenly the wind rose, and gray lumps fell on the hot sand, which starved people ate raw and from which they made porridge. And they thought that it was God who sent them manna from heaven.
The Russian botanist Palpas proved that the gray lumps that "fell" from the sky on the heads of the afflicted were lichens that are found in the deserts of Asia Minor and Africa. Gusts of wind they roll across the desert, withstand the heat of 70 degrees. Having completely dried up, when it gets rain they come back to life again.
Lichen structure
Lichens appeared on Earth one hundred million years ago. For a long time, scientists could not determine whether it is a fungus or algae. Until they came to the conclusion that lichen is a symbiosis of fungus and algae. In its structure, deer moss resembles a tree in miniature: there is a โtrunkโ - a thallus, โbranchesโ diverge in all directions - the interweaving of the fungus hypha and algae cells that protect the lichen from damage and drying out. There are peculiar โrootsโ - rhizoids, with the help of which lichens are attached to stones and soil. The anatomical structure of lichens happens:
- homeomeric - algae scattered throughout the lichen;
- heteromeric - algae are in the thallus and form a separate layer.
Reproduction and growth
Lichens can multiply by spores that the fungus produces, or vegetatively: slices of the thallus. They are able to grow in the most severe conditions: in rocks, on stones, on poor soils, in sand. They are the first to master unsuitable places for life and create conditions for other organisms. They grow very slowly: about 5 mm per year. The color scheme is diverse: from black, white, gray, to bright yellow, orange and red. The mechanism for producing lichen color has not yet been clarified, it is only obvious that it is associated with exposure to sunlight. At the slightest pollution of the atmosphere, lichens die, because, unlike plants, they do not have a protective cuticle, and toxic substances penetrate through their entire surface.
Healing properties
Deer moss or Icelandic centria, or reindeer moss is a lichen that grows in the north of Russia. It has long been used by locals to treat many diseases. Scientists have found that it contains substances useful for the body, such as folic acid, gum, almost all vitamins, manganese, titanium, iron, iodine, nickel and others. It is difficult to overestimate the healing properties that he possesses. Inhabitants of the North treat a variety of diseases with reindeer moss. To treat cough, stomach ulcers, intestinal problems, deer moss is crushed into powder and boiled jelly. It also removes toxins from the body. Reindeer moss is very effective for wounds, boils, ulcers. Wounds are washed with his broth and lotions are made three to four times a day. To treat emphysema, light reindeer moss is boiled in milk. It is widely used in home cosmetology to remove age spots and blackheads. Deer moss serves as a raw material for delicious marmalade, jelly and jelly.