Message - 7th IAL Symposium

The 7 th International Association for Lichenology Symposium 2012
(4I-P19) Submission ID: IAL0300-00001
NOTES ON OCCURRENCE OF CYANOLICHENS IN INDIA
Khare R. 1 , Nayaka S. 1 , Upreti D. K. 1
1 Lichenology Laboratory, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Cyanolichens constitutes a separate group of lichenized fungi having cyanophycean algae either alone
or along with a chlorophycean primary photobiont. Cyanolichens in India are represented by 200 species belonging
to 28 genera and 10 families, which is about 8.6% of the total lichen flora of the country. Out of the total
about 10% of them are bipartite and 3 to 4% are tripartite. Leptogium, Collema, Sticta and Lobaria are the most
common epiphytic cyanolichens which also grow occasionally on rock and soil. Similarly, Peltigera and Stereocaulon
are the dominant genera growing on soil. Collemetaceae is the most common and widely distributed
family and it includes 67 species under 3 genera. However, Lichinaceae is the most diverse family as it includes
13 species within 8 genera. Altitudinal distribution clearly showed that most of the cyanolichens preferred subtropical
(700–1,500 m) to temperate (1,500–3,500 m) regions while alpine region hosted limited number of 30
species. Among all lichenogeographic regions western Himalaya exhibits the concentration maximum number
of cyanolichens wherein a total of 111 species recorded. A wide range of cyanobionts are found in Indian cyanolichens.
The filamentous forms with heterocyst include Dichothrix, Nostoc, Scytonema, Calothrix and Stigonema
while the common unicellular forms are Anacystis, Gloeocapsa, Chroococcus, Aphanocapsa and Xanthocapsa.
The highest diversity of cyanobiont is recorded in the family lichinaceae represented by Chroococcus,
Gloecapsa, Nostoc, Scytonema and Stigonema. Cyanobiont in the lichen usually determines the consistency
and growth form of the cyanolichens leading to formation of crustose, squamulose, foliose and dimorphic habits.
It is now well established that cyanolichens require liquid water for their metabolic activity. Hence, they act as
an indicator of shady, wet and moist habitats. In India it is observed that cyanolichens prefer to grown in least
disturbed environments. These qualities of cyanolichens make them excellent biomonitors and can be utilized
for environmental monitoring in relation to various anthropogenic disturbances and climate change.
(4I-P20) Submission ID: IAL0024-00001
PHYSCIACEAE OF PANAMA
Van Den Boom P. 1 , Giralt M. 2, Fankhauser J.D. 3 , Moberg R. 4
1 Privite, Freelance Lichenologist, Son & Breugel, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
2 Bioquimica I Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Catalonia, Spain
3 250 Biological Sciences Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
4 Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
During a fieldtrip to Panama in February-March 2010 by the first author, lichens were collected from
all kind of substrata, in lowland, coastal- and upland areas in the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Coclé
and Panama. All material is deposited in the private herbarium of P. van den Boom. Lichen morphology was
examined by standard techniques using stereo and compound microscopes. Chemical constituents were identified
by TLC and HPLC. The most recent checklist of lichens of Panama is published online by Feuerer (2008).
Some groups such as the foliicolous lichens and the lichenicolous fungi (Etayo 1997) and the Thelotremataceae
(Hale 1978) are rather well known in that country. However, concerning the Physciaceae only a few genera are
reported and even a few species are known of the wide and widespread genus Buellia s. l. (Marbach 2001).
An annotated list including c. 45 species of Physciaceae is presented in this study. Among them many are new
records for Panama or constitute interesting and rare neotropical species (e.g. Cratiria americana, Gassicurtia
rufofuscescens, Stigmatochroma kryptoviolascens) and some are certainly new species (e.g. Cratiria aff. lauricassiae).
The best represented genus is the macrolichen Heterodermia with c. 15 species.
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