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VARYING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN ORDER TO GROW INTACT LICHENS UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS
Author(s) -
Pearson L. C.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1970.tb09863.x
Subject(s) - lichen , thallus , biology , humidity , dry weight , botany , physics , thermodynamics
Inasmuch as the cultivation of lichens in the laboratory has not been achieved through application of traditional techniques, viz, the establishment of optimum conditions of temperature, light, humidity, and other factors, an attempt was made to grow three kinds of lichens by varying some of these environmental factors. Over a 4.5‐mo period, weight was maintained, and apparently slightly increased, in Parmelia physodes by varying both humidity and temperature on a weekly basis. The lichen disks which had been exposed to the varied environment produced normal photo‐synthetic patterns after 3‐5 mo in the growth control chambers, but the patterns in those exposed to constant environment were abnormal. As evaluated either by dry weight or by photo‐synthetic pattern, the varied environment was beneficial both to P. physodes and to Xanthoria parietina . This was not true, on the other hand, in the case of Peltigera polydactyla . In all three species, however, the thalli exposed to the varied environment were the most normal in general appearance.