I}IIYTOTAXONOMY

\tol. 5, 2005. pp. 117-l

19

Epiphytie lichen flora of a pristine habitat (Nit Campus) in Southern Assam, tndia
Jayashree Rout-, tl.oyal ll.ongnrei and Pulak Das
Departr.nent

of

Ecology and Environmental Science, Assarn University, Silchar - 788 0ll, Assam. lNDlA.

An enurneratiorr of 24 eprphytic lichen species found grorving in NIT Carnpus of Assarr is provided. 'ilre trees are thickly covered rvith three species of Pl,.rirre. The graphidaceous and pyrenocarpous
genera also dominate the trees.

I(eywords : Epiphytic lichens; NIT Carnpus; Southern

Introduction .l-ichens are one of the irnportant constituents

Assat"n

Teclurology (NIT), Silchar (24049\q and 92r48/E)

of the Inclian flora. The vast

topograpltical and

clinratic diversity has endorved it ivith a rich lichen t'lora, both in luxuriance and species diversity. Despite intense effort in explol'atioll aud srtrvey ciuring the last four decades, our kr.rowledge about liclrens remaius incornplete with vast areas still rcrnaining urlexplored (Alvasthr, 1983). India as one

spread over - 200 hectares, comprise the study alea. The campus is about 9 lcnr. away from ntain township of Silchar. With a uumber of stnall hillocks and water

bodies, and no slllall or big industries around, the

campus area provides

a pollutioir free pristile

of the nrega-diversity country in the world

e

habitat. A nurnber of trees like Ailocarpus clnnru, Tetrenreles nudi-flortt, Ficus sp., Neoltouzeatta dulooa, Acacia'auriculifortnis, Mesttct .ferrett, Tbctona grandis,,Albizia procet)a, Antlrcceplutlus
chinensis, Artocarpus lrcteroplryllus, Tbona ciliata and Ery:tlfina sp., found growing in the area offer

ncompassing nlally floristically rich areas lilte the

i'.Jorth-Eastern India which is considered to be "Botanical Eden" (Ilalaklisluran, 198l-83; Flaridasan and llao, l985-87; Janir and l{ao, 1988; Joseph, 1982; lianjilal et a\.,1934-40; Kakati, 1986;Itao, 1974;l{ao and }:lazra, l986). This part of the country remain

ideal substratum for proliferous growth of variety of lichens. An inteusive exploration of lichens wele underlalten liorn April-Juue month during which the average temperature was 280C ancl rainfall was 1836
lnm The lichen sar.nples were procured from shrubs and trees in the campus which harbour a tlrich felt

terrrt irtcogttitc from the lichenological research perspcctive. Sporadic account of lichens frorn this
r.':gron lras been made in last ferv decades (Awasthi,

l99l).

published earlier (Sinha

Some studies on lichen taxa have beeu & Singh, 1986; Singh dc
and

5inha, 1994). There exist no systematic

aLrthenticated infornration on the lichens from Southem part of Assaur, Barak Valley. As a part of or.rl ongoing prograrnlne to make a systernatic in.,,estigatior-r on the lichen flola of North-East, we Irave undertaken to explore the lichen flora of NIT
L a,rrl)us 1Silclrar,l.

ofwhitish or pale green patches on the bark surfaces. The samples were seggregated and suitable herbaria were prepared. The iichen specirrrens were carefully examined morphologically, anatornically and
chernically. The colour spot tests were performed with reagents as I( (5% potassiurn hydroxide), C (aqueous solution of calciurn hyJrochlorite) and PD

(Paraplrynilediamine). Lichen substances were

studied with thin layer chronatography (TLC) in solvent systern A ( 180 toluene : 60 dioxane : B acetic acid) applying the techniques of Culberson (1972) and Walker and Jpmes (1980).

i\{af erials and l![ethods

-lhe present investigation on epipll)'tic [ichens iras [reen conducted in National Institute of

PHYTOI^AXON0|VIY VOL.

-5. 2O()5

,\ll tlrc laxa llrus stucliecl rvere identifred by cotnparing the descliptions avajlable in tlre floras arrcl latcst rnonograplric treatutents of various gcrcril. Nlost of the taxir wete authenicated in lichen lrer.balia at National Botarrical Research lnstitute (I-\\;C). Lucl<uorv arrd a sel ol voucher speciltleus
ir- tlcpositcil tliere.

infornration regarditrg the licheu flora of the rcgion

rvhich can be used

Aclatorvledgemeuts

in firture for calrying

out

turonitoring studies in the alea.

lLesults irrrd lliscussiorr 1-lre study r.evealed tlre occurrertce of 24 spccics ol lichens belonging tcl l2 genera and 8 laririlics out ol93 specirneus collectecl fiorn different tr ce bar"ks flonr NIT Campus. Silchar'. All twentylirur species ale colticolous (Table l) ol'which lS irrc urLrsto-qe and 6 are fbliose fonns. The Cantpr-rs shou's a goocl glorvtli of lichens on the bark sulfaccs. l-he trecs ale thickly coveled lvith species
P_r,-rure. Ten species of the Glaplridaceaeous lichen gellera Grttpltis ancl [tltueout'ttphirrc donrinates the area- Tlie ruembers of liclren fatnily physciaceae ranked second r,vith 6 spccies. Parnreliaceae with a siugle genus llot'ttrotrenttt reflected its stray occr-rlrence. Tlre

We ale grateful to the Director', National Botanical l{esearch h.rstitute (NBl{l) [or provicling laboratory facilities to rvork. We tbank to Dr. D.li,. Upreti ancl Dr. Sanjeeva Nayaka fbr valuable suggestions rvhich have significantly improvecl tlic
presentation.

I{eferentes
Awasthi, D.D. 1933, Present position. prospects
problerns
arrd

ol

Lichenologl,

Arvasthi. D,D. 1991,

in ltrdia. I(ayohu. I I : l- 10. A key to the rniclolichens of lndia.

Nepal and Sri l-anka. Bihilotheca Lichenologttr.4l

: l-

o1'lichen genus

.,

337

Balakrishnarr. N.P. l98l-81. Flora of Jowai and vicirrity Meglralaya. Vol. I and Il. Bot. Surv. lnrJia. Horvrah.
Culbersorr. C.F. 1972, Irrrproved conditiorrs and ncrv da(a

tlrin lay'er clrrornatographic rnethod.

[or the iderrtilication of lichen lrroduc(s by

s(arrdardizcd

..1. Cltrontalo.qr. 72

il3-t25.
Haridasarr.
Nleghalaya. Vol.

sinrilar obser',,ation \,vas also made for

Try'pethilliaceae. Lichen farnily Pyrenulaceae is represented by occulrence of two species. Most of tlre srrrootlr balk trees ar.e colonised wiLb P1'renula,

K. & Rao. R.fi. 1985-87. [iorest flora of I cQ. ll.. Bisherr Singh alrd lVlahendra I)al

Sirrgh, Debradurr. Jatnir. N.S. and Rao, R.lt. l9BlJ. The lerns of' Nagaland. Bisherr Singh arrd Maherrdta [,al Singh, Dehradun.
Joseph,
Slt

'fhe yotLng tlees haviug srnooth bark suppolt tlre good glowth of crustose foln.r licheus, Nlature
tr.ees sustain tlre

llills District.
illong.

J,

1982. Flora of Norrgpoh arrd vicinity. East Khasi Meghalaya. ['orest Departlnent. Meghalaya.

clintax conrrnunities dontinated by

l.roth crustose and foliose lichens. The presence of 24 [ichens species in a contparativeiy sniall and lor.v

altitude area reveals a rich lichen diversity of the region. The present study sultports the liclren
ricluress of North-East lndia. Similar assesslnent was rnacle on the lichen flola frolt Nagaland by Singh

Kakati, S.l(. 1986. Orchids ol Meghalaya. Foresr Departrilent, Goverrrrnent of Nleghalaya. Shillong. I(atrjilal et ul., 1934-40. Flora of Assarn. Vols. 5.
Coverlrncnt Press. Shillong.
Rao, A.S. I974. 'Ihe vegetatiotl and phytogeography ol Assanr - 13urrna; hr Eco. Arttl Biogeogruplt.y in India (cd. M.S, lvlani). pp. 204-246. llange. Rao, R.R.

arrd Sinha (1994). The association betr.veen high

tliveLsiti,

and p;istiue |abitat of NIT can.lpus is so cleal that the preseut situation of lichen cliver"sity can be used as indicators of errosystenr continuity and r.vill also be helpfirl in iclentifying tlre areas lhat sliould be protected froln pollution. The size and shape of an area affected

of lichels

&
&

Hazra, P.K. 1986, Flor'istic diversity of the

Pr.or:r/.

- in a corrselvatiorr perspective. lndia. Acutl Sci Suppl. Vol. l0]-125.

easterrr llirrralaya Sinha, C.P.

liclrerrs fionr Nagaland. Curr. Sr:i. 55(

Singh. K.P. l98(r. Three tretv recolds of fcrliose l4) : 661-662.

bv pollution can be discoveled rapidly

Singlr, K.l'i & Sinha, GP. 1994. Lichen flora of Nagalarrd. Bishen Singh Nlahendla Pal Sirrgh Publ. pp 498.
Walker. F.C. & P,W. Jarrres, 1980. n revised guide to rnicro chernical techniques lor the identification of liclren proclucts. Bulletirr Briti.\h Liclten,9ocierr, (Supplenrerrt) 46 : ll-29.

(and

clteaply) by ruapping indicator species of lichens. Tlie present iuvestigation providcs the baseline

hPlPllYTlC LICIIEN

FLORA

OF A FRISTINE HABI IA'I (NI'I CAMPUS)

IN

SOUTHI]RN ASSAM. INDIAII9

Assam

Table

I : Epiplrytic lichens of NIT Campus, Southern

Sl. l-ichens
No.

SPecies
tttultte nsis (Rasarretl) Awasthl

Grorvth form
C

Family
Te losch is tace ire

(ulottluttt

rustose
se

DipIoIontrt Itturitrt'ssiae (Fee) Szal

Cru sto

Physciaceae Physciaceae
G raplt
i

j.

Dirinuritt crtnsinili: (Stirton)

Alvasthi

Foliose
Crustose
C rust o se C ru sto se

1. Glvphis r/trli lrsclllrr' Stirton 5. Graphrs nrgroglauca, Leightott 6. Grupltis.rcripla (L.) Ach Gtuphts subusultintte. Nagarkar & 1 .
R ).
L(a(uior0 celtistrr. Ach
Lecanortr

riaceae

Graphidaceac Craph idaceae Graph idaceae

Patrv

Crrtstose Crustose
C ru stose

Lecanoraceae Lecanorirceae
Opegraphac eae Parmel iaceae Graph idaceae Graph i daceae
C rap h i.l ac eae

leivrt.

Stizenb

10.
I

OpegrtPlta /orrgtrln. NYI

Hale

c rus to se

L Pttrtnolrenttt sttccttlilobun (Taylor)

Foliose

12.

Phaeogrctphinu trtt.Ytro!nLlicn (Awasthi

&

Upreti) Arg'

Singh

Crustose
Crustose
C

ll. l:1. I 5.
I

Phrteographina cttesiopruinosa (Fee)

Phuettgrctphina conte

Mill

\l(t (l'ers ) Mill Arg

rustose

Phtteogrttphina nilgrriensis.

Singli & Arvastht

(l rustose
C rus

Graphidaceae Graphidaceae
Pyre nu I ac eae

6. Ph'aeograpltintt rt'/tlliutto
Pt,renula arthoilithe.a (Eschrv ) Upreti Pttrenulu conctella (Stirton) Upreti
(Fee

tose

l-i. l l(
2().
21,.

C rus to se C

rustose

Pyrenulaceae
Physctaceae Physciaceae

19. Pt'tine cot'ci/et'a

NYI

Foliose
Fol i ose Fol i ose

Pt'-rine cocoes (Srvartz) Nyl

2l. I't,.ttite nteissnerlirl, Nyl.

Ptt-rine

Ph-sciaceae
Phvscr aceae
G raph

petricolu NYl.

Foliose

23. 24

Srtrco,qrttpha subtricttsa (Leighton)

Mill'

Arg

(lrustose
C

idaceae

lvl,pthellunr nsslrrrrle, Stirton

rustose

Trypethilliaceae

Wt&l'nKgqir'"4

rl-r
?,,: