Tushen vanillin, syringic aldehyde, dimethyl sulfoxide, Lignin (Dealkaline) na iya zama mai haɓakawa don robobin phenolic, don ƙarfafa roba (esp don ƙafar ƙafar ƙafa), azaman ƙari mai laka, don daidaita kwalta emulsions, don haɓaka sunadaran.

An kwatanta bayyanar lichens gabaɗaya a matsayin crustose (suna yin ɓawon burodi na bakin ciki da lebur akan substratum), foliose ko fruticose (daidai, nau'ikan rassan, kama da shrubs). Lichens suna girma sannu a hankali daga ƴan milimita zuwa mita da yawa kowace shekara. Suna haifuwa galibi ta hanyar haɓakar apothecia ko perithecia, suna ƙirƙirar sabbin lichens akan germination na ascospores kawai a gaban abokin tarayya na algal wanda babu naman gwari ya mutu.
Kusan sinadarai 700, wadanda suka kebanta da ‘ya’yan lichen, suna taimaka wa lichens su rayu da kuma kawar da kai hare-hare daga kwayoyin cuta, sauran fungi da na ciyawa.
Lichens na cikin al'ummomin ɓawon ƙasa kuma suna taimakawa wajen daidaita ƙasa, musamman a yankunan hamada. Cyanolichens suna ba da gudummawa ga daidaita nitrogen zuwa yanayin yanayin da suke girma a ciki. Ana amfani da LicheGare don gano shekarun saman (wanda suke girma) ta wata dabara, da ake kira lichenometry.
Lichens sune alamun gurɓata yanayi saboda bambancin fahimtar su ga sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) da ozone, da kuma ikon su na sha da tara manyan karafa da radionuclides.
Ana samun abubuwa kamar su pigments, gubobi, rigakafi, da sauransu daga lichens, waɗanda ke da amfani musamman a matsayin tushen rini (misali, Roccella, samar da litmus), magunguna da turare. Wasu lichens, kamar gansakuka na Iceland da gansakuka reindeer, ana amfani da su azaman abinci a yankunan arctic.