Mycology is the study of fungi, lichenology is the study of lichens - which are also fungi - but a specialised group of organisms that have a symbiotic relationship with algae and cyanobacteria. The picture below is an illustration of a fungal-algae symbiont - Lichenomphalia umbellifera (L.) Redhead et al. syn Omphalina ericetorum (Pers.), often found on peaty moorland. The algal 'partner' is a tiny green thallus of Botryodina species.