Taxonomic studies on the lichenized fungi inhabiting bamboos and rattans of KFRI Peechi campus

A total of 17 lichen taxa inhabiting the bamboos and rattans of the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi campus were enumerated. Out of these, sterile specimens of Cryptothecia, Pyxine, Tricharia, and some species of Porina and Strigula were identified up to generic level based on thallus morphology, anatomical and chemical characters. The study added eight species viz., Diorygma soozanum (Zahlbr.) M. Nakan. & Kashiw., Fellhanera bouteillei (Desm.) Vězda, Graphis pyrrhocheiloidesZahlbr., Gyalectidium cf. filicinum Müll. Arg., Herpothallon cinereum G. Thor, Porina tetramera (Malme) R. Sant., Puiggariella nemathora (Mont.) S.H. Jiang, Lücking & J.C. Wei, and Tricharia sp. as new distributional records to Kerala. The genera Fellhanera, Gyalectidium, Puiggariella, and Tricharia are reported for the first time in Kerala. Brief descriptions of the species new to Kerala are provided.