Premium
GROWTH PHASES IN THE LIFE OF A LICHEN THALLUS
Author(s) -
ARMSTRONG R. A.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1974.tb01320.x
Subject(s) - thallus , lichen , growth rate , fragmentation (computing) , botany , relative growth rate , biology , ecology , geometry , mathematics
S ummary The growth rates of thalli of foliose saxicolous lichens before and after the linear phase of growth were measured in 1973. Changes in the radial growth rate (measured as mm/year) with thallus size in the prelinear phase (thalli less than approximately 1.5 cm in diameter) were consistent with the hypothesis that early growth of these lichens is logarithmic. When growth in the prelinear phase was measured as a relative growth rate (measured as cm 2 /cm 2 /year) there was a rapid rise in growth rate until about 3 mm thallus diameter and then a decline in growth rate. The radial growth rate of non‐fragmenting thalli when compared with fragmenting thalli at different stages of fragmentation suggested that the radial growth rate does not significantly decline after fragmentation of the thallus. This result is not consistent with a postlinear phase in the radial growth of a lichen thallus.