Definition of "lichenes" []

• A division of cellular, mostly thalloid, cryptogamic plants, formerly regarded as constituting a distinct class, but now, in accordance with the theory of Schwendener and others, considered to be genuine fungi of the divisions Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes. They exhibit a remarkable parasitism.

The Century Dictionary (Public Domain)

• "Native vegetation on South Georgia is limited to lichenes, fernes, and a few other small flowering plants."