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).
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