In
lichens,
rhizines are multicellular
root-like structures arising mainly from the lower surface. A lichen with rhizines is termed
rhizinate, while a lichen lacking rhizines is termed
erhizinate. Rhizines serve only to anchor the lichen to their substrate; they do not absorb
Nutrient, as plant
Root do. Characteristics of the rhizines are used to identify lichens, for example, whether they are dense or sparse, uniformly distributed or clumped in specific areas, and straight or branched. Only
may possess rhizines, not
crustose or
fruticose lichens, which lack a lower cortex.
[McCune, Bruce, and Linda Geiser. Macrolichens of the Pacific northwest. OSU Press, 1997.]
Rhizohyphae are a type of attachment structure on some lichens. Rhizohyphae are more slender than rhizines and are one cell thick in diameter. Rhizohyphae often occur as a felt-like mass.
See also
