Frankenstein Experiments!
In the review of literature I posted a link to (http://publications.aston.ac.uk/15210/1/Folios_lichen_growth_review_for_pdf.pdf), a resource I'm using because it's online and free, there is some fun stuff. I'll try an ELI5 for you.
Scientist Armstrong, in a 1984 effort to understand how round, foliose lichens (specifically, these ones here: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/203800-Xanthoparmelia-conspersa ) grew, cut the lichens apart along the lobes of the thallus structures and then GLUED THEM BACK TOGETHER either in the same arrangement or in a different arrangement to see if they grew any differently. Imma quote the summarized results from the literature review but add some bold for decoration and to help with clarity and the wow factor.
"In addition, gluing the lobes in a different configuration from the original or constructing thalli in which each lobe was removed from a different ‘parent’ thallus did not affect the degree of lobe growth variation. These results support the hypothesis that lobe growth variation is a property of individual lobes and not of the thallus as a whole."
Neat, innit? This frankensteining of lichens suggests strongly that each individual lobe on a thallus (one part of a round foliose lichen) is kind of its own thing.
In a somewhat less-foliose lichen, they also retain some individuality (or whatever) even after they grow together. You can see this in a nice picture I took of what I'm pretty sure is a cluster of Porpidia albocaerulescens. It was striking because the sections reminded me of giraffe spots, kinda. Anyways.
If they all grew into each other or something, it'd be one big lichen without interior boundaries. But it doesn't do that. The boundaries between what used to be separate lichens are clearly visible even after they grew together. I wonder what's going on there?
Is there some sort of minimal-distance-from-the-edge for the little cup fruiting structures? Chemical signalling? Border wars? The mind boggles.
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