University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies Nebraska Academy of Sciences 1995 A Preliminary Catalog of the Lichen-Forming Fungi of Nebraska Robert S. Egan University of Nebraska at Omaha Richard C. Witt University of Nebraska at Omaha Yolanda E. Peck University of Nebraska at Omaha John P. Goeden University of Nebraska at Omaha Teresa L. Cherney University of Nebraska at Omaha Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas Part of the Life Sciences Commons Egan, Robert S.; Witt, Richard C.; Peck, Yolanda E.; Goeden, John P.; and Cherney, Teresa L., "A Preliminary Catalog of the Lichen-Forming Fungi of Nebraska" (1995). Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies. 90. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas/90 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Nebraska Academy of Sciences at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societiesy b an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 1995. Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences, 22: 13-25 A PRELIMINARY CATALOG OF THE LICHEN-FORMING FUNGI OF NEBRASKA Robert S. Egan, Richard C. Witt, Yolanda E. Peck, John P. Goeden, and Teresa L. Cherney Department of Biology University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, Nebraska 68182-0040 ABSTRACT counties. In the catalog we have listed a county for every collection site if the recorded location was suffi­ A total of 438 lichen-forming taxa have been reported in ciently specific. We did not attempt county designa­ the literature from Nebraska. Based on current taxonomic tions for localities cited as "Pine Ridge" or "western concepts and synonymy we recognized 312 lichen species in Nebraska." Some early localities from Tuckerman (1872, this catalog for the state. Published reports oflichen species citing specific collection localities are listed from only 31 1882, 1888) include mention of "Bad Lands of Judith, counties. These records are concentrated in eastern Nebraska Nebraska" and along the "North Platte, Nebraska." We with the largest numbers of species listed from localities in feel that some of these collection localities are actually Cass, Lancaster, Saunders, Richardson, and Sarpy counties. in Wyoming or other western states. The greatest number of taxa has been reported from Weeping Water t t t in Cass County (114). Other counties with numerous lichen taxa reports include Lancaster (55), Richardson The lichen-forming fungi are a ubiquitous group of (41), Sarpy (36), Saunders (36), Nemaha (22), and Knox symbiotic organisms found in terrestrial habitats around (20). It would be naive to believe that counties in which the world. At present, there are approximately 18,000 no lichen species have been reported do not support recognized species; over 4,000 taxa are known to occur lichen growth, rather it is probable that no one has in the continental United States and Canada (Egan made an attempt to collect and document those areas. and Esslinger, 1995). Few authors have studied and A map of Nebraska counties and the numbers of ac­ reported on the lichens of Nebraska, but this catalog cepted lichen species reported from each in the litera­ summarizes the results of these scattered scientific ture is found in Fig. 1. endeavors. A total of 312 species are recognized for Nebraska The earliest published reports of lichens from N e­ in this preliminary catalog based on reports of 438 braska are found in the works of Edward Tuckerman taxa. Two taxa, Abrothallus parmeliarum (Sommerf.) (1872, 1882, 1888), often considered the father of Ameri­ Arnold and Dactylospora pertusariicola (Willey ex Tuck.) can lichenology. Other early reports of lichens from Hafellner are lichenicolous fungi or lichen "parasites." Nebraska were made by Aughey (1875), Webber (1890) Some of the records are based on cited herbarium col­ and Williams (1889). Since these early attempts at lections which can be verified, but many are included cataloging the lichen diversity of the state, only a scat­ because they have been indicated in distribution maps tering of literature reports were published. We have (e.g., Hale, 1969, 1979) or merely mentioned as occur­ attempted in this paper to compile all of these diverse ring in Nebraska. The second phase of our work will be literature records and bring the nomenclature of the to attempt to verify as many of these literature reports Nebraska lichen-forming fungi to current standards. as possible and begin a systematic revision of various At this point we are presenting only published reports; lichen genera for the state with the ultimate hope of we have not attempted to survey herbaria for correc­ presenting a complete lichen flora for Nebraska. The tions or additions. authors consider this publication a starting point and encourage others to become aware of the lichen Lichens have been reported from 31 counties in biodiversity in Nebraska and assist us in developing a Nebraska. Most of these records are from the eastern better understanding of this unique group of fungi. 13 14 R. S. Egan et al. Sioux Dawes Sheridan I --·---Cherry·-----~~~;-~;-~ \ i \ Holt! I Cedar 1-~ 6 12 I Brown [ Rock I I , ( 7 I, : ',I I 20 I ' D",o,)-\_, Box Butte I, I 7 I I An,e'O~;rp;;;~ 15'[;1Dako, I 'I I I,:! Wayn~ Th~st---~ I '!, I I I ur on~ ''1 Y---'~--~'--_.L,L-----+--- ! I------+------,-~ 11-------",'-~---I-----~ Grant I Hooker r Thomas Blaine! Loup ! Garfield I Wheeler! I Madison IStanton ! Cuming : ___ J I Scotts Bluff I Morrill Garden I I I :, I, , , Burt \ 'i !!' 3 L_----+ __ j~~~~', 11 ' 6 I I I' -' ~,Banner -JI Arthur ! McPherson logan! Custer I Valley I'Greeley I Platte I Colfax i Dodge \ \ W, ashlngton ~-~- 1'~'6 I--------i'------< ~:: ___.---l_~ ______ ~_ J Cheyenne ! Keith Lincoln Kimball ! I I i 4 I Sherma~r Howard \ ~nc~~ Polk ,I '~~,!,lunaers ~~~ ) 1 --~) Douglas t------------i \ I MerrICk I '36 ,--. ~ ,___ ,~~ I I \- _.11 __1 ___ ~ Sarpy ~ __.L...... ----.-l-::1~2.J 3 I Dawson Buffalo I Hall ' York ! Seward ILancaster r-~ \ Cass ! Perkins I I ! ,I'. i 114 ( ["" ,I 1! I Ham,"on, i 12! r-~--------1. L__ -"--__- -~------.L ------t--:--:----1-----:-------t---J 55 i ~ "OIoe Chase - i Hayes i, Frontier IGasper i Phelp-;-~~ney I Adams! Clay ! Fillmore! Saline i !: 1 " ~ i 1 i . i . i ,t 1 I-G;;-;;;-tohnsoni 2;~ Nemaha i Dundy Hanan ! Fra~k;;:-IW-eb~ter I Nuckolls :.'. Thaye~ !, Jeffe~SO~ 15 L. "----L.-----~ . ,t I I ! I 1 ~ '\ Richardson : I jPawnee! 41 ' _J ____~ _____ L ____ ,l ___ ,___ ~ ___ .: _____ _ Figure 1. Number of currently accepted lichen species reported in the literature for each of the counties in Nebraska. The nomenclature in this catalog follows the fifth myriocarpa (Aughey, 1875: 35; Williams, 1889: 136; North American lichen checklist and its supplements Webber, 1890: 55) - Buellia punctata var. punctata (Egan, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991) with additional infor­ (lmshaug, 1951: 43; Cherney, 1985: 19) Buffalo, Cass, mation from a recent draft of the new sixth list (Esslinger Knox, Lancaster Anisomeridium biforme (Borrer) R. C. Harris (Cherney, and Egan, 1995). Accepted names are in boldface 1985: 17) Cass italic type; synonyms, misidentifications, etc. are in Anzia colpodes (Ach.) Stizenb. (Hale, 1955: 244) - Parmelia italics. Abbreviations for the authorities for lichen taxa colpodes (Williams, 1889: 30; Webber, 1890: 59; Fink, are those adopted in the sixth North American check­ 1935: 329) list (Esslinger and Egan, 1995). Literature citations Arthonia dispersa (Schrader) Nyl. (Williams, 1889: 144; (author, date: page) immediately follow the name used Webber, 1890: 55) Cass, Lancaster in that publication for a Nebraska lichen. Page num­ Arthonia lapidicola (Taylor) Branth & Rostrup (Williams, bers listed are the pages where "Nebraska" is actually 1889: 142; Webber, 1890: 55; Fink, 1935: 87; Wetmore, mentioned or Nebraska specimens are cited. County 1967: 283) Cass Arthonia lecideella Nyl. (Aughey, 1875: 35) names are listed for each taxon for which reported Arthonia punctiformis Ach. (Williams, 1889: 147; Webber, localities in the literature were precise enough to place 1890: 55) Cass the collection site in a Nebraska county. Following the Arthonia radiata (Pers.) Ach. (Webber, 1892: 12; Cherney, catalog is an alphabetical listing of synonyms and their 1985: 17) - Arthonia astroidea (Williams, 1889: 145; accepted epithets. Webber, 1890: 55) Cass, Cuming, Lancaster, Richardson, Saunders, Seward Abrothallus parmeliarum (Sommerf.) Arnold - Buellia [Atthonia ramulosa (Aughey, 1875: 35). Synonymy uncer­ parmeliarum (Webber, 1890: 55) [A lichenicolous fun­ tain.] gus.] Saunders Arthopyrenia punctiformis (Pers.) Massal. - Pyrenula Acarospora cervina Massal.- Lecanora ceruina (Aughey, punctiformis (Williams, 1889: 159; Webber, 1890: 54) 1875: 35) Cass, Lancaster Acarospora fuscata (Schrader) Arnold - Lecanora fuscata Arthrosporum populorum Massal. - Bilimbia acclinis (Williams, 1889: 90; Webber, 1890: 57) Cass, Lancaster (Fink, 1935: 224) - Lecidea acclinis (Williams, 1889: Acarospora glaucocarpa (Ach.) Korber - Lecanora 133; Webber, 1890: 55) Cass, Lancaster glaucocarpa (Webber, 1892: 13) Arthothelium taediosum (NyU Mull. Arg. - Arthonia Acarospora schleicheri (Ach.) Massal. - Lecanora taediosa (Williams, 1889: 148; Webber, 1890: 55) Cass schleicheri (Webber, 1892: 13) - Lecanora xanthophana Aspicilia calcarea (L.)