Lichen is often mistaken as being a part of the moss family, probably because they frequent the same environments and mimic the same behaviors such as attaching to similar hard surfaces. Another invalid similarity is that some lichen have moss in their name. However, they are not in the same family, they are actually nothing alike. Moss is a very basic plant structure. Licken is an organism that is a combination of algae, bacteria and fungus. Its structure is very complex. All lichen looks poisonous, but in fact, out of thousands of species of lichen most are eatable. Only a couple of varieties are actually poisonous when consumed. As with all wild eatables you have to be very sure of your identification as well as proper preparation of the plant before handling or consuming it!  I find the growth patterns of lichen interesting and like to photogragh it in its various habitats.