Research Projects

Lichens are a unique group of non-vascular cryptogams that occupy ecological niches on various physical and biological substrates. Kerala, located in the south-western part of India, is known for its diverse vegetation, including mangrove forests, montane wet temperate forests, and'shola' forests. Kerala has a rich variety of lichens, with over 800 species from its varied habitats. High altitudinal forest areas are rich in fruticose forms like Cladonia, Ramalina, and Usnea, which are unique in their characters and have higher species diversity in higher reaches. The proposed work aims to prepare a taxonomic revision of the genus Usnea in Kerala. Usnea is a cosmopolitan fruticose lichen with usnic acid in the cortex. Identifying species involves morphological features like habit, branching pattern, pigmentation, presence or absence of soredia, isidia, pseudocyphellae, papillae, tubercles, fibrils, and branch shape. Combining morphological, anatomical, and chemical characters can help delimit different species. DNA sequence differences are often used for species delimitation. Studies on the taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of Usnea have been conducted in foreign countries, but these studies are limited in India. A molecular approach in the lichen genus Usnea could help solve taxonomic problems and lead to the discovery of new species and unrecorded taxa from the study area.