Fascinating Lichens of Sri Lanka

Coccocarpia
Shell lichens
Peltigerales Coccocarpiaceae
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Coccocarpia is mainly a tropical genus widely distributed in tropical and
subtropical to oceanic-temperate regions on all substrata including living leaves.
This is the only genus of the family Coccocarpiaceae recorded in Sri Lanka so far.
The speciation has taken place in two main centres, one in the northern part of
South America and one in South-East Asia.
In Sri Lanka, few species are common and distributed in low elevation humid
forests to montane forests across a huge variation of elevations and in many
different types of vegetation types.
Fr
DD
SL
Cladonia submultiformis
Some species are closely appressed foliose lichens while few remain as
microfruticose. All species contain cyanobacteria in a well-defined algal layer and
have a white medulla. The thallus is usually bluish grey in colour, and dissected
into linear or round lobes that are rather thick. Some species have isidia. Rhizines
are white to black. Coccocarpia is similar in colour to many species of Leptogium,
but Leptogium is a jelly lichen that becomes translucent when wet and also lacks
a medulla. Also some Coccocarpia species resemble species of Parmeliella.
Cladoniaceae
Description Fruticose. Squamules of the primary thallus are large, but gradually
disappear when the lichen is mature. Podetia are grey, thick at base, and
repeatedly branched with bluish tips. Podetia are esorediate and abundantly
squamulose. Podetial discs are brown and located at the tips of the podetia.
Status Only spotted in a few localities. New record for Sri Lanka.
Habitat Mostly restricted to humid high elevation forests above 1000 m.
Apothecia laminal, adnate, biatorine, often with marginal hair, reddish brown to
black; Asci: 8-spored; Spores: colourless, simple.
Chemistry No lichen substance detected in Sri Lankan species.
Coccocarpiaceae
Locations Nuwara Eliya.
60 Fascinating Lichens of Sri Lanka
Fascinating Lichens of Sri Lanka 61