Letharia vulpina
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Wolf lichen ( Letharia vulpina ) (yellow) |
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| Letharia vulpina | ||||||||||||
| ( L. ) Vain. |
Letharia vulpina , also known as wolf lichen , is a branching shrub lichen . The name is derived from vulpis (or vulpes ) = " fox ", as it was previously used to poison fox bait . It is the only European representative of the genus Letharia .
description
The conspicuous lemon yellow wolf lichen is sparsely branched, grows shrubby or bearded and becomes between 10 and 15 cm long. The dark brown, yellow-edged fruiting bodies (apothecia) are only rarely developed. The thallus lobes are dull, the bark is cross-cracked, the pith whitish. The thallus is greenish-lemon yellow, wrinkled, angular, forked; occupied with isidia at the thinner end sections .
Occurrence
The lichen is boreal - alpine and lives in the area of the tree line on conifers. In the Alps especially on Swiss stone pine ( Pinus cembra ) and European larch ( Larix decidua ). Often it can also be found on shingle roofs and on weathered barn boards or fences of the trees mentioned. That is why it is also known as taklav ("roof lichen") in Sweden .
Ingredients and effects
The color of the lichen is due to the content of vulpinic acid , which acts as a powerful poison on the central nervous system . It is poisonous not only to carnivorous vertebrates but also to insects and mollusks . The poison is said to have no effect on herbivores, which has been proven at least for mice and rats .
Wolf's lichen can lead to skin allergies even with superficial contact.
In Scandinavia , lichen used to poison fox and wolf baits. According to a report by wolf hunter Nikolaus Nilsson , a wolf dies within 24 hours if it does not consume fresh blood shortly afterwards, which allows it to recover. The older the lichen, the stronger the poison.
Others
In Germany, the lichen is under nature protection and is considered "endangered" according to the Red List .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Heribert Schöller: Lichen - history, biology, systematics, ecology, nature conservation and cultural significance . Schweizerbartsche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Frankfurt am Main 1997, ISBN 3-7829-1151-2 , pp. 35–37.
literature
- Marbach / Kainz: BLV Naturführer Moose, Fern und Lichen, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-405-16323-4
Web links
- Wissenschaft.de: Lichen with four symbiotic partners January 18, 2019
Common yellow lichen (2004) | Pit lichen (2005) | Caperate lichen (2006) | Icelandic moss (2007) | Wolf Lichen (2008) | Reindeer Lichen (2009) | Pink Lichen (2010) | Common fire lichen (2011) | Real lung lichen (2012) | Dwarf Shield Lichen (2013) | Map lichen (2014) | Yellow-fruited sulfur lichen (2015) | Heather (2016) | Hepps Schönfleck (2017) | Fringed umbilical lichen (2018) | Broad-lobed bowl lichen (2019) | Finger Scarlet Lichen (2020)