Two lichen species found

Priyanka Kurugala

Two new lichen species (Anzia mahaeliyensis and Anzia flavotenuis) were discovered in the Horton Plains National Park by three local scientists.

The lichens were discovered by Dr Udeni Jayalal during a National Science Foundation funded research study along with Prof Veranja Karunaratne of the Department of Chemistry, University of Peradeniya and Dr Cyril Wijesundara of the National Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya.

The new findings were reported in the Lichenologist, the premier scientific journal devoted exclusively to the study of lichens worldwide, published by the British Lichenological Society. “Lichens are a good indication of the non - pollution of the environment meaning that Horton Plains is not environmentally polluted,” Dr Wijesundara said. One lichen was named after Maha Eliya, the Sinhala name for Horton Plains and the other name alludes to the yellowish, slender habit of the lichen.

“There are number of uses derived from lichens. It can be used as food for humans and animals. It can also be used as raw material for the perfume industry. Lichen can also be activated as a bio degration constituent,” Dr Wijesundara said.A lichen is a combination of a fungus and an alga. In the northern hemisphere, reindeer graze on lichen known as reindeer moss. Litmus, the colour-changing dye used to make pH indicator paper, is also extracted from lichens.

There are many dyes, medicines and important chemicals extracted from lichens.