Uses of Lichens: Past and Present

Uses of Lichens
Food for humans and other animals
Medicinal problems and uses
Lichens as dyes (past and present)
Lichens in the perfume industry
Biodeterioration problems
Miscellaneous uses and problems

Lichens as Food
Lichens as Food for Humans
Human consumption is limited:
Umbilicaria (rock tripe), Bryoria
used by native peoples of North
America
Sometimes used for survival
(Cladina, Cetraria islandica)
Generally most taxa are bitter tasting
and provide little nutritional value

Umbilicaria

Lichens as Food (cont.)

A Secwempec (Shuswap) elder
near Kamloops, British
Columbia, placing soaked
Bryoria fremontii into a pit oven
for cooking. Photo copyright
Sandra Peacock 1992.
Bryoria fremontii was the most
widely used edible lichen in
North America -- a famine food
for many groups, and a
delicacy for some.

Lichens Used as Food

Bryoria fremontii and Cetraria islandica

Nutritional Value

Lichens as Food (cont.)

Lichens as Food for Animals
Eaten in winter by reindeer,
caribou, and deer
A definite browse line can be
found in many northern forests
due to winter feeding by deer

Sheep in Libya graze on Aspilicia

esculenta in the desert
Some mollusks and insects eat
lichens on a regular basis

Elk Deaths (?)

Wyoming elk-death mystery
solved. Lichen behind the deaths
of nearly 300 healthy elk. Wyoming
Game and Fish Department March 22,
2004

Can Xanthoparmelia chlorochroa

(tumbleweed shield lichen) kill elk?

Medical Problems
Contact dermatitis sometimes occurs in
lumbermen who become sensitized to constant
exposure to lichens
Called woodcutters eczema or cedar
poisoning
Problem is caused primarily by an allergic
reaction to various lichen acids (as in Evernia
prunastri)

Contact Dermatitis
Evernia prunastri
Alectoria, Cetraria,
Cladonia, Evernia,
Lecanora, Parmelia,
Physica, Usnea and
Xanthoria species have
been reported allergenic.

Lichen in Dermatology
A skin disease known as lichen is, fortunately,
not caused by or related to lichenized fungi
The term, however, confuses the literature and often
the public
No pathogen is actually present and causes are
unknown
Various versions of the disease are known as lichen
planus, lichen sclerosus, lichen puctatus etc

Lichen planus

Medical Uses
Historically, some lichens were thought to
have medicinal properties and were given
names indicating this (doctrine of
signatures)
Lobaria pulmonaria and Parmelia sulcata (cure for
lung disease)
Peltigera canina (cure for rabies)
Letharia vulpina (used as a poison against wolves)

Medieval Medicinal Lichens

Letharia vulpina and Lobaria pulmonaria

Medicinal Uses (cont.)

Other species are (or
have been) used in
folk medicines
around the world,
usually prepared as a
tea

Medical Uses (cont.)

Usnic acid has been shown to inhibit the growth of
gram+ bacteria
Active ingredient in some topical ointments sold in
Europe and Russia (USNO, BINAN)
Some lichen fatty acids and carbohydrates have
anti-tumor effects in study animals. None have been
developed for humans yet.
Most of this work has been done in Japan

Bacterial Growth Inhibition

Dyes from Lichen Substances

Orchil (purple dyes)
Earliest documented use from ancient Rome as a
purple dye or togas using Roccella species from
rocks around the Mediterranean
This use was discontinued later when a longer
lasting dye was obtained from snails

Crottal (brown dyes)

Extracted from Parmelia, Ochrolechia, and Evernia)

Dyes from Lichen Substances (cont.)

These extracts are used still to dye wool and
produce the Harris Tweed of Scotland, especially
on the Outer Hebrides

Considerable amateur application of lichen

dyes today from a number of species as
well as extracts of other plants

Wool Dyeing in Scotland

Scottish Harris Tweed

Dyes from Arctic Lichens

Arctic Lichen Dyes

Other Lichen Dyes (cont.)

Navajo Rug Weavers

Lichen is primarily
Xanthoparmelia spp.

Perfume Manufacture
Hard to find out precisely how the
lichens are used because of extreme
secrecy
However, many companies buy many
of tons of lichens every year
Probably involved in the manufacture
of moss and leather fragrances in
perfumes and some types of soap

Oakmoss oil.
10 ml for about $30.00

Perfume Manufacture

Collection of
oak moss
and tree
moss
(species of
Pseudevernia
and Evernia)

Biodeterioration Problems
Damage to stained glass windows
in old cathedrals in Europe due to
etching of the glass by lichen
growth or Caloplaca/Xanthoria on
roof tiles

Biodeterioration (cont.)
Considerable work in
the last 15 years has
been done of the
deterioration effects of
lichen growth on
monuments and
artwork in Europe,
especially in Italy.

Mayan Ruins
Other problems
include removal of
lichen growth on
Mayan ruins in
Central America
which develop once
the ruins are restored
and exposed to light

Cleaning Mayan Ruins

Before

After

Miscellaneous Uses
Production of litmus paper
Commercial Products
Material for model trains, landscape designs and
architectural renderings
Decorative displays

Illustrations for stamps (good example from

Uruguay)
Uses by Animals

Litmus Production in Europe

Commercial Products

Commercial Products (cont.)

Uruguayan Stamps
Usnea densirostrata, the
yerba de la piedra

Decoration
Photographed at the San
Jos, Costa Rica airport
Lichen
Bear
at craft
show in
Arkansas
2005

Utilization by Animals
Use by North American vertebrates has been
well documented by Steve Sharnoff
See www.lichen.com

A excellent chapter on Lichens and Animals

can be found in the Seaward book, Lichen
Ecology (see lecture notes in Lichen Ecology
and Biogeography)

Animal Uses

Camouflage

Blends in perfectly on Xanthoparmelia species

Literature
Richardson, D. H. S. 1974. Vanishing Lichens. Their
History, Biology and Importance. 231 pp. Hafner Press,
New York.
Moore, P. D. & R. S. Egan. 1991. Are lichens edible?
Evansia 8(1): 9-14.

Web Sites
Contact Dermatitis from Lichens
http://bodd.cardiff.ac.uk/BotDermFolder/BotDermL/LICH.html

Lichens and Animals

http://www.lichen.com/animals.html

Human Uses of Lichens

http://www.lichen.com/usetaxon.htm
http://www2.ac-lille.fr/lichen/Page_1.htm (Nice general site, in
French)