Macrolichens of Mathikettan Shola National Park, Western Ghats: a preliminary investigation with some new records

: An extensive survey of lichens was conducted in different parts of Mathikettan Shola National Park, and analysed 55 macrolichen species under six families. Two species were found to be new to the Indian peninsula, and five species were new to the lichen flora of Kerala.

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online); ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)  (MSNP,, located in the high ranges of southern Western Ghats with an area of 1,282 ha falls under Poopara village of Ubumbanchola taluk in Idukki district, Kerala (Image 1). Altitude of the area ranges from 1,200-1,984 m in the highest peak-Kattamala-of the national park. The area represents a unique montane evergreen forest ecosystem with several endemic species-63 species of trees, 163 herbs and shrubs, and 15 species of climbers (Management Plan MSNP 2009).
The climatic conditions and the presence of forests intermingled with grasslands make MSNP suitable for the luxurious growth of lichens. However, to date no substantial work on lichens has reported on this unique area. Fragmentary lichen collections from different parts of Kerala (Kumar et al. 1999, 2000Biju et al. 2010Biju et al. , 2012Biju et al. , 2014Sonia et al. 2018Sonia et al. , 2020 have not covered several interesting areas, including Wildlife Sanctuaries, national parks, mangrove forests, and cultivated areas (Sequiera 2003(Sequiera , 2005(Sequiera , 2008Kumar et al. 2008). This report presents preliminary observations of macrolichens from a hitherto unrecorded area of MSNP, Idukki, Kerala.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data collection: An extensive survey of lichens was conducted in different parts of MSNP during the period of June 2019 to February 2020. Collection was made from Choondal (1,200-1,600 m), Karadippara (1,200 m), and Shivanpara (1,400 m) area of the national park. Substrate of collection, altitude and names of trees along with the lichen population was noted from each locality. The collected specimens were numbered, air dried and herbariums were prepared as per the standard method.
Identification: Collected specimens were identified based on morphological observation and comparison with published keys and descriptions (Awasthi 2007;Mishra & Upreti 2017). Species confirmation was done using various chemical colour tests such as potassium hydroxide (K), paraphenylene diamine (P), calcium hypochlorite (C), potassium iodide and thin layer chromatography (TLC) using a solvent containing toluene, dioxane, and acetic acid (TDA).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
More than 500 specimens were collected from the study area in MSNP. Critical analysis of the specimens revealed 55 macrolichen species under 17 genera belonging to six families; eight species were fruticose (13%) and 47 (87%) were foliose in nature. There was a maximum diversity of corticolous lichens represented by 47 species (87%), with the rest being saxicolous in nature (13%). Numerical representation of the taxa recorded is presented in Table 1. Family Parmeliaceae was predominant with 25 species from seven genera, followed by Physciaceae with 11 species from two genera, Peltigeraceae with nine species from three genera, Collemataceae with four species from two genera, Coccocarpiaceae with three species from one genus, and Ramalinaceae with one species. Among 17 genera, Parmotrema and Heterodermia were found to be dominant in the study area with nine species each followed by Usnea (6 species), Sticta, Psuedocyphellaria and Hypotrachyna with four species each, Coccocarpia, Ramalina and Leptogium with two species each, Phaeophyscia, Xanthoparmelia and Canoparmelia with two species each, Lobaria, Collema, Physcia, Myelochroa, Parmelina with one species each. Among the 55 species reported from the national park, two species were new to peninsular India and five species were found to be new to the lichen flora of Kerala.
The species has an earlier record from Uttarakhand state (Awasthi 2007). The present collection shows its extended distribution in peninsular India.
This species has been reported earlier from eastern Himalaya and from Manipur state. The present collection from the study area shows its distribution in peninsular India.
Specimen examined: India, Kerala, Idukki, Mathikettan Shola National Park, 10.008N to 77.245E, 1,606 m, on bark, July, Aswathi Anilkumar (2427). Awasthi (2007) reported the occurrence of this species from Nilgiri and Palni hills of Tamil Nadu. The present collection confirms its extended distribution to the state of Kerala. Recently collected from Nilgris hills of Tamil Nadu (Pandit & Sharma 2012). The present collection confirms its extended distribution to the state of Kerala.
Collected from Nilgris hills of Tamil Nadu and Nagaland.

CONCLUSION
It is estimated that India supports about 2,532 lichen species under 324 genera and 78 families, including 541 endemic species (Singh & Sinha 2010). Only about 691 species are so far reported from Kerala since only fragmentary studies have been done on lichen taxonomy from the state. This study mainly focused on survey of macro lichen species from Mathikettan Shola National Park, and the results revealed that further extensive exploratory studies may end up with new additions to lichen biota of the state, and also to the country.