Foliicolous lichen

A foliicolous lichenized fungi is a lichen which grows on the surfaces of living leaves of vascular plants, usually inhabiting the upper surface (epiphyllous) but sometimes also the lower surface (hypophyllous). Foliicolous lichens largely occur in tropical environments and of the over 800 foliicolous lichens accepted (as of 2008) over 600 of these are known from the tropics. Unlike most lichens which are common in humid but cool and temperate climates, these tropical lichens are more suited to the higher temperatures and lower light levels present beneath the rainforest canopy, where they are involved in the nutrient cycle and water retention.[1][2] Chlorophyta are common photosynthetic partner phycobionts of epiphyllous lichens.[3]

Foliicolous lichens seen in the Peruvian Amazon

Etymology

Foliicolous simply means 'growing upon leaves'[4] whilst epiphyllous derives from the Greek epi-[5] meaning on or over and phyllous means leaf[6] so 'over leaf' and hypophyllous means 'under leaf'.[7]

References
  1. Lücking, Robert (2008). "Foliicolous Lichenized Fungi". Flora Neotropica. 103: 1–866. ISSN 0071-5794. JSTOR 25660968.
  2. Nash, Thomas H. (2008). Lichen biology (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-511-41542-5. OCLC 252240732.
  3. Lichen Photobionts, University of Nebraska Omaha Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Definition of foliicolous". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  5. "Definition of epi-". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  6. "Definition of -phyllous". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  7. "Definition of hypophyllous". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2 August 2022.


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