ZEARLY DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPLANTED ISIDIOID SOREDIA OF LOBARIA-PULMONARIA IN AN ENDANGERED POPULATION

dVegetative diaspores of Lobaria pulomnaria were transplanted to previ ously uncolonized trees. The early development of the corticated but o therwise non-stratified isidioid soredia was studied mainly by low-tem perature scanning electron microscopy. Anchoring hyphae developed from cortical hyphae after 2-4 months and later apical or lateral pseudome ristematic growth zones were formed. After 15 months the growth zones further differentiated into 0.5-mm-broad lobes and revealed a stratifi ed thallus typical for this foliose epiphytic lichen species. The expe riment showed that the small population size of L. pulmonaria was limi ted by the low reproductive potential of the species and that it might fail to compensate for a relatively high disturbance, natural or anth ropogenic, in the stand. (C) 1995 The British Lichen Society