Lichens form from the stable but complex extracellular symbiotic relationships between two or more organisms. They can grow in the most extreme terrestrial environments, and are often capable of geometric growth. This is especially the case with the morphologically hyperdiverse Usneoid lichens of the Parmeliaceae, that are found globally from the arctic or antarctic environments, and then throughout many different forest ecosystems. Members of the Trebouxiaceae algal lineage are frequently found as the photobionts in the Parmeliaceae, and here we identify and explore the relationship of Trebouxiaceae within some of the basal members of Usneoid lichens using metagenomic assemblies from Nanopore sequencing. While much work remains before we gain a clearer understanding of the genetic diversity, our genomic analyses provides better knowledge about the photobiont species diversity and their co-occurrence. Together this data will improve our awareness of how lichens impact terrestrial ecosystems and provide necessary information about how to manage endangered species, particularly in forest ecosystems.