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island cetraria lichen

Scientific Name: Cetraria islandica ssp. crispiformis

Family: Parmeliaceae

Category: Lichen

Growth: Lichenous

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Cetraria islandica: Iceland Moss

Cetraria islandica, commonly known as Iceland moss (though it is, in fact, a lichen), is a fascinating organism with a long history of human use. Its erect, leaflike structure gives it the appearance of a moss, hence its common name.

Considerations for Pets

  • The text mentions the plant having a "thallus" (body). While this doesn't explicitly indicate toxicity, it suggests the presence of potentially complex substances.

Considerations for Children

  • The text mentions the plant having a "thallus" (body). While this doesn't explicitly indicate toxicity, it suggests the presence of potentially complex substances.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach.
  • Common Names: Iceland moss, Island cetraria lichen, True Iceland Lichen, Icelandic Lichen.
  • Family: Parmeliaceae
  • Rank: Lichen, with a subspecies: Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach. subsp. crispiformis (Rasanen) Karnefelt
  • Synonyms: Lichen islandicus (historical name)

Distribution and Habitat

  • Cetraria islandica is a circumpolar lichen, abundant throughout the arctic and mountainous regions of northern countries.
  • It is plentiful in Iceland, from which it derives its name.
  • It has also been found in Long Island, N.Y., and on Svalbard Islands.
  • The subspecies crispiformis has been found in Iceland.

Morphological Characteristics

  • It is a fruticose lichen with a small to medium brown thallus.
  • It grows to a size of approximately 0.1 meters (0ft 4in) in height and 0.5 meters (1ft 8in) in width.
  • It exhibits slow growth.

Traditional Uses

  • Iceland moss has been used since ancient times as a cough remedy.
  • It has also been used in European folk medicine as a cancer treatment.
  • Historically, the population of Iceland survived years of crop failure by consuming large quantities of Iceland moss.

Associations and Interactions

  • Cetraria islandica, among other lichens, serves as a food source for reindeer.
  • The lichen-associated bacterial strain Sphingomonas sp. PAMC 26621 was isolated from an Arctic Cetraria sp.
  • Lichens consist of algae and fungus growing together in a mutually helpful relationship.

Further Information

  • Richard Wettstein - Handbuch der Systematischen Botanik (1924)
  • Gilg, Ernst Schumann, Karl - Das Pflanzenreich Hausschatz des Wissens (1900)
  • ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System)