Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 July 2020 | 12(10): 16402–16406

 

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) 

doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5475.12.10.16402-16406  

#5475 | Received 20 October 2019 | Final received 29 May 2020 | Finally accepted 06 July 2020

 

 

Eleven new records of lichens to the state of Kerala, India

 

Sonia Anna Zachariah 1, Sanjeeva Nayaka 2, Siljo Joseph 3, Pooja Gupta 4 & Scaria Kadookunnel Varghese 5

 

1 Department of Botany, Mar Thoma College, Kuttapuzha P.O., Tiruvalla, Kerala 689103, India.

2-4 Lichenology Laboratory, Plant Diversity, Systematics and Herbarium Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226001, India.

5 Department of Botany, SB College, Changanacherry, Kottayam, Kerala 686101, India.

1 sonia@marthomacollege.org (corresponding author), 2 nayaka.sanjeeva@gmail.com, 3 siljokl@gmail.com,

4poojaguptafri09@gmail.com, 5 scaria.varghese@rediffmail.com

 

 

Editor: G.P. Sinha, Botanical Survey of India, Allahabad, India. Date of publication: 26 July 2020 (online & print)

 

Citation: Zachariah, S.A., S. Nayaka, S. Joseph, P. Gupta & S.K. Varghese (2020). Eleven new records of lichens to the state of Kerala, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12(10): 16402–16406. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5475.12.10.16402-16406

 

Copyright: © Zachariah et al. 2020. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.  JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.

 

Funding: UGC (University Grants Commission, Govt. of India); DST (Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India).

 

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

 

Acknowledgements: We are thankful to the principals, SB College, Changanacherry and Mar Thoma College, Tiruvalla; the director, CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow for the laboratory and herbarium facilities; Dr. D.K. Upreti, CSIR emeritus scientist for his valuable suggestions.  SAZ is thankful to UGC for selection under FDP programme of UGC XIIth plan.  SJ is thankful to Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi for financial assistance under DST INSPIRE Faculty scheme (DST/INSPIRE/04/2018/002796).

 

 

 

In the present state of knowledge, Kerala comprises ca. 782 species of lichens which were made through various publications and contributions (Vohra et al. 1982; Patwardhan 1983; Kumar 2000; Easa 2003; Sequiera 2003, 2007; Singh & Sinha 2010; Biju et al. 2010, 2014a, b; Pandit et al. 2012; Joshi et al. 2016, 2018; Bajpai et al. 2018; Zachariah et al. 2018, 2019).  The Pathanamthitta District of Kerala State consists of three different natural geographical regions; the highlands—part of Western Ghats that cover thick forests and tall hills with an average elevation of 800m; the midland—that covers areas with small hills with an elevation ranging from 20–100 m; and the lowlands with less than 20m elevation and wetlands that remain closer to the western coastal boundaries.  The highland comprises of reserve and plantation forests while the midland and lowlands include human-inhabited and cultivated lands.  The reserve forest area of the district is 1385.27km2 that comprises 50% of the total area of the district and is completely devoted for the conservation of biodiversity.  The area experiences a tropical climate with temperature ranging from 20–39 °C and the south-west and north-east monsoons provide good rain.  About 75% of the annual rainfall is received during the south-west monsoon.  A total of 83 species of lichens were reported from Pathanamthitta District till date (Kumar 2000; Easa 2003; Zachariah et al. 2018, 2019).  During the ongoing studies on the lichen mycota of Pathanamthitta District, we came across eleven lichen species which are new to the state of Kerala.

Specimens were collected from various cropland areas of Pathanamthitta District and identification was conducted at the Lichenology laboratory, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), Lucknow.  Morphological characters were studied using a stereo zoom Leica S8APO microscope whereas the anatomical details were examined with Leica DM2500 compound microscope attached with camera and image analysis software.  Chemical studies were carried out by spot tests and TLC using solvent system C following Orange et al. (2001).  Awasthi (2007) and Lendemer (2013) were followed for identification of the species, and new records were confirmed by comparing with the checklists and other relevant literature (Easa 2003; Singh & Sinha 2010).  Identified specimens were deposited at the Regional Herbarium of Kerala (RHK), Department of Botany, SB College, Changanacherry, Kerala and one set of voucher specimens at herbarium LWG of CSIR-NBRI.

 

1. Cladonia praetermissa A.W. Archer

Muelleria 5: 273. 1984. (Cladoniaceae) (Image 1)

Specimens examined: RHK L0613, L0614, L0615, L0616; LWG 35848, 22.ii.2019, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Pachakkanam, on soil, 9.487°N & 77.144°E, 895m, coll.  S.A. Zachariah.

Distribution: In India, the species was earlier known from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand (Rai & Upreti 2014).

 

2. Collema japonicum (Müll. Arg.) Hue

Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., ser. 3, 10: 220. 1898. (Collemataceae) (Image 2)

Specimens examined: RHK L0573, LWG 35833, 30.i.2019, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Upper Moozhiyaar, on bark, 9.308°N & 77.127°E, 912m, coll. S.A. Zachariah.

Distribution: In India, the species is widely distributed in Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal (Rai & Upreti 2014).

 

3. Heterodermia hypochraea (Vain.) Swinscow & Krog

Lichenologist 8: 119. 1976. (Physciaceae) (Image 3)

Specimens examined: RHK L0078, 28.x.2017, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Ranni forest division, Goodrickal range, Anathode, on bark, 9.342°N & 77.153°E, 974m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0121, 24.v.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Ranni forest division, Goodrickal range, Kakki, Attappara, on bark, 9.348°N & 77.157°E, 1108m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0603, 22.ii.2019, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Ranni forest division, Goodrickal range, Pachakkanam, on bark, 9.458°N & 77.141°E, 964m, coll. S.A. Zachariah.

Distribution: In India, this species was earlier known from Karnataka and Nagaland (Singh, 2018).

 

4. Leptogium coralloideum (Meyen & Flot.) Vain.

Suomal. Tiedeakat. Toim., ser. A, 6(7): 110. 1915. (Collemataceae) (Image 4)

Specimens examined: RHK L0221, 9.x.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Tiruvalla, Niranam, on bark of Garcinia mangostana, 9.347°N & 76.523°E, 8m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0247, 10.x.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Tiruvalla, Kaviyoor, on bark of Swietenia macrophylla, 9.384°N & 76.615°E, 11m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0409, 12.xi.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Malayalappuzha-Puthukkulam, on bark of Artocarpus heterophyllus, 9.301°N & 76.841°E, 128m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0410, 12.xi.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Kumblampoika-Thalachira, on bark of  Hevea brasiliensis, 9.302°N & 76.816°E, 141m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0411, LWG 35844, 12.xi.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Puthukkulam, Thekkummala, on bark of Areca catechu, 9.306°N & 76.848°E, 245m, coll. S.A. Zachariah.

Distribution: In India it was earlier reported from the subtropical areas including Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand (Singh & Sinha 2010).

 

5. Pannaria emodii P.M. Jørg.

Lichenologist 33: 298. 2001. (Pannariaceae) (Image 5)

Specimens examined: RHK L0501, LWG 35837, 5.i.2019, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Ranni, Gurunathanmannu, on bark, 9.288°N & 77.017°E, 579m, coll. S.A. Zachariah.

Distribution: In India, earlier reported from Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand (Singh & Sinha 2010).

 

6. Phyllopsora chlorophaea (Müll. Arg.) Zahlbr.

Denkschr. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss., Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 83: 133. 1909. (Ramalinaceae) (Image 6)

Specimens examined: RHK L0572, LWG 35846, 30.i.2019, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Upper Moozhiyaar, on bark, 9.298°N & 77.125°E, 885m, coll. S.A. Zachariah.

Distribution: In India, the species was earlier recorded from tropical to sub temperate areas of Karnataka and Odisha (Mishra et al. 2011).

 

7. Phyllopsora parvifolia var. subgranulosa (Tuck.) Müll. Arg.

Bot. Jharb. Syst. 20: 264. 1894. (Ramalinaceae) (Image 7)

Specimens examined: RHK L0518, 5.i.2019, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Ranni, Gurunathanmannu, on bark, 9.293°N & 77.014°E, 545m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0546, LWG 35836, 30.i.2019, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Upper Moozhiyaar, on bark, 9.301°N & 77.125°E, 896m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0593, 20.ii.2019, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Konni- Mannarappara, on bark, 9.090°N & 77.022°E, 239m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0607, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Pachakkanam, on bark, 9.459°N & 77.142°E, 936m, coll. S.A. Zachariah.

Distribution: In India, this species was earlier reported from Manipur (Singh & Sinha 2010).

8. Physcia dilatata Nyl.

Syn. Lich. 1(2): 423. 1860. (Physciaceae) (Image 8)

Specimens examined: RHK L0223, LWG 35840, 9.x.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Tiruvalla, Niranam, on bark of Areca catechu, 9.346°N & 76.522°E, 8m, coll. S.A. Zachariah.

Distribution: It was earlier reported from Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim and Uttarakhand states of India (Singh & Sinha 2010).

 

9. Physcia dubia (Hoffm.) Lettau

Hedwigia 52: 254. 1912. (Physciaceae) (Image 9)

Specimen examined: RHK L0290, 18.x.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Adoor, on bark of Areca catechu, 9.160°N & 76.726°E, 62m, coll. S.A. Zachariah.

Distribution: It was earlier reported from Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand states of India (Singh & Sinha 2010).

 

10. Physcia sorediosa (Vain.) Lynge

Vid. -Slesk. Skrift. I. Mat. -Naturv. Kl. No. 16: 27. 1924. (Physciaceae) (Image 10)

Specimens examined: RHK L0212, 28.vii.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Adoor, on bark of Moringa oleifera, 9.162°N & 76.726°E, 60m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0265, 12.x.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Vennikkulam, on bark of Alstonia scholaris, 9.408°N & 76.675°E, 63m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0266, 12.x.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Vennikkulam, on rock, 9.408°N & 76.676°E, 63m, coll. S. A. Zachariah; RHK L0298, 18.x.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Adoor, on bark of Artocarpus heterophyllus, 9.166°N & 76.720°E, 54m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0359, 26.x.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Mylapra, on bark of Hevea brasiliensis, 9.292°N & 76.807°E, 220m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0385, 7.xi.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Koodal-Rajagiri, on bark of Hevea brasiliensis, 9.151°N & 76.881°E, 98m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0417, 12.xi.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Malayalappuzha-Puthukkulam, on bark of Cocos nucifera, 9.301°N & 76.841°E, 128m, coll. S.A. Zachariah; RHK L0418, L0419, LWG 35841, 12.xi.2018, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Puthukkulam-Thekkummala, on bark of Alstonia scholaris, 9.303°N & 76.839°E, 133m, coll. S.A. Zachariah.

Distribution: In India, this species was earlier reported from Nagaland and Tamil Nadu (Singh & Sinha 2010).

 

11. Pseudocyphellaria clathrata (De Not.) Malme

Ark. Bot. 26A (14): 9. 1935. (Lobariaceae) (Image 11)

Specimens examined: RHK L0617, LWG 35847, 22.ii.2019, Kerala, Pathanamthitta District, Pachakkanam, on bark, 9.458°N & 77.141°E, 964m, coll. S.A. Zachariah.

Notes: Earlier reports in India are from Sikkim and Nagaland (Singh & Sinha 2010).

 

For images - - click here

 

 

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