GRAPHIS SCNIPTA - Universitetet i Oslo

118 Gunnar Degelius
GRAPHTS SCRTPTA 5 (19e3)
Figure 1. Sten Ahlner on excursion, 1925.
selrot and I were working on investigations
similar to those of Sten. As pointed out by
Sten in his dissertation, we three had a mutual
interchange brought together at the institution
almost every day during several years (except
the summer) and during numerous excursions
in my car in Uppland and other areas (Sten
and I also in Tr6ndelagen in Nonvay in 1934).
Sten's lichenological interest was strongly
stimulated. He was especially interested in the
macrolichens, and among crustose ones, the
Caliciales. His first lichenological papers deal
with two fruticose (pendulous) species, Evernia
divaicata and Usnea longissima, the lastmentioned
in a comprehensive survey of the
Nordic distribution, a very good maiden work.
Altogether, he wrote L9 papers on Nordic
lichens before his greatest work, the doctoral
Nation (1986), in the survey of the work at
"Vdntbio". Only slight information in a fqotnote
(p. La\ is to be found there. (The statement
that Degelius and Ahlner were called the
lichen clergymen ("lavprostarna") is a misunderstanding;
Torsten Hasselrot was sometimes
called "lavprosten" owing to his habitus.)
dissertation (1948). Among these smaller publications
is an inventory of the whole lichen
flora of an area in J6mtland (L944).
The subject of his dissertation was settled
already in 1933, and deals with some selected
lichens on coniferous trees in Norden, their
distribution and ecology, €t cetera (1948),
established in the same way as my own dissertation
on the oceanic lichens (1935). Nineteen
macrolichens are described in detail. It is no
homogeneous group as to distribution et cetera;
some species are markedly eastern in
Scandinavia, others western or widely spread.
Some species are rare, others rather common.
His statements on distribution are based on
maps according to the current dot-method,
and these maps had been established, for the
most part, on the basis of investigations during
Sten's own numerous journeys (by bicycle or,
later on, moped) in Sweden, Nonvay and Finland.
Detailed lists of localities are included,
also photos of nearly all species. Especially
interesting are Cavernularia hultenii, Efuderma
boreale (described as a new species),
and Lobaria hallii (cf. below). Finally, he also
had an interesting and critical discussion on