Basically the title. I’ve been looking around for sources on how to just observe the free photobiont from a sample, but all papers point towards cultivation. I don’t have an autoclave in order to prepare media so I don’t see myself cultivating the algae in the near future, but I’d really like to be …

You usually don’t need to ID the phycobiont to identify the lichen. When this trait is used, you’re usually distinguishing green algae (= green lichens, at least when wet) from cyanobacteria (blue-greens, usually = gray or brown lichens). The key I usually use has phycobionts in the 2nd lead, but …

[image] junior84: I’d really like to be able to identify the lichens in my area aren’t lichens usually identified based on the mycobiont (the fungus)? maybe the photobiont gives clues about the lichen or maybe it’s interesting to identify the photobiont itself, but generally you should be abl…

Thanks for the workaround! Problem was, the only key that goes in detail for my area dates from the 80s and ‘requires’ observation of the phycobiont, down to genera (Palmella/Chroococcum/Nostoc…). I will try to rehydrate my samples to distinguish and properly ID them.

Ick. That’s not good. Best of luck!

Sometimes microscopy can be enough to determine a photobiont genera depending on the structure/type of lichen. Maybe look into microscopy techniques to try to separate out photobionts from the mycobiont.

Observing the phycobiont in lichens without cultivation

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Observing the phycobiont in lichens without cultivation

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