The bole of a Manna gum,Eucalyptus viminalis,growing the banks of the Yarra river at Warrandyte,Victoria,Australia. The vivid greenish yellow staining of the bark is due to the presence of Trentepohlia,a genus of green algae. Trentepohlia spp. have a wide global distribution,and are commonly found on growing on the bark of trees. The taxonomy of the genus is poorly understood and species identification remains a matter of dispute in many cases. Trentepholia spp. form the algal symbiont of one fifth of lichen species worldwide. The free-growing alga has a felt-like appearance,and ranges in colour from a brilliant greenish yellow,as here,to ( more commonly seen in N. Europe ) a reddish brown or orange. This reflects differences in the balance of the green pigment chlorophyll with varying amounts of carotenoid pigments |