Stereocaulon
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Stereocaulon is a genus of shrub lichens with around 125 species worldwide, of which around 17 occur in Central Europe. It belongs to the Stereocaulonaceae family.
description
The stereocaulon species are mostly gray to white shrub lichen with columnar to richly branched ascending pedicels. They are usually densely covered with scaly outgrowths (phyllocladien). In many cases, brown to black apothecia develop. Phycobionts are coccal green algae. Most species have Cyanophycean symbionts in separate cephalodies. They mostly occur on the ground, less often on wood.
Occurrence
The stereocaulon species can be found on all continents, especially in alpine or arctic climates and near the coast. In Central Europe most of the species live in mountainous areas above about 2000 meters above sea level on soils poor in lime.
In North America, Scandinavia and Siberia, stereocaulons are an important food for reindeer in winter in addition to the even more popular reindeer lichens . In China, some stereocaulons are used for medicinal purposes.
The differentiation of the individual species is sometimes very difficult.
In Switzerland, the entire genus Stereocaulon is therefore protected in accordance with the requirements of the Nature and Heritage Protection Ordinance. The species Stereocaulon incrustatum , Stereocaulon capitellatum , Stereocaulon glareosum , Stereocaulon rivulorum and Stereocaulon tomentosum are on the red list of endangered lichens in Switzerland . The most common species in the Swiss Alps is Stereocaulon alpinum .
literature
- Volkmar Wirth. The lichens of Baden-Württemberg. Eugen Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart, 1987, ISBN 3-8001-3305-9
- Irwin M. Brodo, Sylvia Duran Sharnoff, Stephen Sharnoff. Lichens of North America, Yale University Press, New Haven 2001, ISBN 978-0-300-08249-4
- Christoph Scheidegger, Philippe Clerc. Red list of endangered species in Switzerland. Tree and terrestrial lichens. Edition 2002. FOEN Bern.
