Metallophytes
Living things associated with historic lead mining
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Metallophytes are heavy metal tolerant organisms, with most references being to plants and lichens. Lichens are symbiotic combinations of a fungal body with sugar forming (photosynthetic) micro-organisms embedded within it. These are typically green algae and/or cyanobacteria. Plants, other that a few specialists, posses chlorophyll and are therefore photosynthetic. Many metallophytes are nationally rare.
Obligate metallophytes can only survive in the presence of heavy metals and facultative metallophytes tolerate such conditions but may survive elsewhere. For local habitat information see mining page.
