A Lichen

Patches of this bright orange-yellow lichen are common on the small rocks and cobbles along the back of local beaches, above the high-tide line of winter storms. Perhaps because there are so few other bright colours at this time of year, they stand out.

I always hesitate to venture into the world of lichens as there are so many and they're so complex but this one appears to be Xanthoria parietina. According to Wikipedia, it has wide distribution and common names such as 'common orange lichen', 'yellow scale', 'maritime sunburst lichen' and 'shore lichen'.

While admiring its bright colours I had never bothered to pick up a specimen and take a close look at it but, last week, I did - and I was in for a surprise.

The lichen may look as if it has a uniform structure across its surface but a close look by the camera reveals something rather spectacular.

At this point I'm going to stop and marvel rather that go any further as I fear that I will stray into areas which are too complex for my ageing brain. All I would add is that I'm glad I looked: this lichen is simply and stunningly beautiful.