''Cladonia rangiferina'', also known as reindeer cup lichen, reindeer lichen (cf. Sw. ''renlav'') or grey reindeer lichen, is a light-colored

fruticose A fruticose lichen is a form of lichen fungi that is characterized by a coral-like shrubby or bushy growth structure. It is formed from a symbiotic relationship of a photobiont such as green algae or less commonly cyanobacteria and one, two or ...

, cup lichen species in the family

Cladoniaceae The Cladoniaceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. It is one of the largest families of lichen-forming fungi, with about 560 species distributed amongst 17 genera. The reindeer moss and cup lichens ('' Cladonia'') belong ...

. It grows in both hot and cold climates in well-drained, open environments. Found primarily in areas of alpine tundra, it is extremely cold-hardy. Other common names include reindeer moss, deer moss, and caribou moss, but these names can be misleading since it is, though somewhat moss-like in appearance, not a moss. As the common names suggest, reindeer lichen is an important food for

reindeer Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 sub ...

(caribou), and has economic importance as a result. Synonyms include ''Cladina rangiferina'' and ''Lichen rangiferinus''.

Description

Thalli Thallus (plural: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. Many of these organisms were ...

are fruticose, and extensively branched, with each branch usually dividing into three or four (sometimes two); the thicker branches are typically in diameter. The color is grayish, whitish or brownish gray. ''C. rangiferina'' forms extensive mats up to tall. The branching is at a smaller angle than that of ''

Cladonia portentosa ''Cladonia portentosa'', also known as reindeer lichen or the cream cup lichen, is a light-coloured, fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. A similar-looking species, also known by the common name "reindeer lichen", is ''Cladonia ra ...

''. It lacks a well-defined cortex (a protective layer covering the

thallus Thallus (plural: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. Many of these organisms ...

, analogous to the epidermis in plants), but rather, a loose layer of hyphae cover the photobionts. The photobiont associated with the reindeer lichen is '' Trebouxia irregularis''. It grows on humus, or on soil over rock. It is mainly found in the taiga and the tundra. Reindeer lichen, like many lichens, is slow growing ( per year) and may take decades to return once overgrazed, burned, trampled, or otherwise damaged. A similar-looking but distinct species, also known by the common name "reindeer lichen", is ''

''.

Chemistry

A variety of bioactive compounds have been isolated and identified from ''C. rangiferina'', including

abietane Abietane is a diterpene that forms the structural basis for a variety of natural chemical compounds such as abietic acid, carnosic acid, and ferruginol which are collectively known as abietanes or abietane diterpenes. Abietanes are found in the ...

labdane Labdane is a natural bicyclic diterpene. It forms the structural core for a wide variety of natural products collectively known as ''labdanes'' or ''labdane diterpenes''. The labdanes were so named because the first members of the class were ori ...

, isopimarane, the abietane

diterpenoid Diterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of four isoprene units, often with the molecular formula C20H32. They are biosynthesized by plants, animals and fungi via the HMG-CoA reductase pathway, with geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate being ...

s hanagokenols A and B, ontuanhydride, sugiol, 5,6-dehydrosugiol, montbretol, ''cis''-communic acid, imbricatolic acid, 15-acetylimbricatoloic acid, junicedric acid, 7α-hydroxysandaracopimaric acid, β-resorylic acid, atronol, barbatic acid, homosekikaic acid, didymic acid and condidymic acid. Some of these compounds have mild inhibitory activities against methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus'' and vancomycin-resistant ''Enterococci''. Exposure to UV-B radiation induces the accumulation of

usnic acid Usnic acid is a naturally occurring dibenzofuran derivative found in several lichen species with the formula C18H16O7. It was first isolated by German scientist W. Knop in 1844 and first synthesized between 1933-1937 by Curd and Robertson. Usnic a ...

and melanic compounds. Usnic acid is thought to play a role in protecting the photosymbiont by absorbing excess UV-B.

Habitat

''Cladonia rangiferina'' often dominates the ground in boreal pine forests and open, low-alpine sites in a wide range of habitats, from humid, open forests, rocks and

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler a ...

s. A specific biome in which this lichen is represented is the boreal forests of Canada.

Ecology

''Cladonia rangiferina'' is a known host to the

lichenicolous fungus A lichenicolous fungus is a parasitic fungus that only lives on lichen as the host. A lichenicolous fungus is not the same as the fungus that is the component of the lichen, which is known as a lichenized fungus. They are most commonly specific to ...

species '' Lichenopeltella rangiferinae'', which is named after ''C. rangiferina'', '' Lichenoconium pyxidatae'' and '' Lichenopeltella uncialicola''

Conservation

In certain parts of its range, this lichen is an endangered species. For example, in the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Duchy of Cornwall it is protected under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

Uses

The reindeer lichen is edible, but crunchy. It can be soaked with wood ashes to remove its bitterness, then added to milk or other dishes. This lichen can be used in the making of aquavit, and is sometimes used as decoration in glass windows. The lichen is used as a traditional remedy for removal of kidney stones by the Monpa in the alpine regions of the

West Kameng West Kameng (pronounced ) is a district of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India. It accounts for 8.86% of the total area of the state. The name is derived from the Kameng river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, that flows through the district ...

district of Eastern

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

. The Inland Dena'ina used reindeer lichen for food by crushing the dry lichen and then boiling it or soaking it in hot water until it becomes soft. They eat it plain or, preferably, mixed with berries, fish eggs, or lard. The Inland Dena'ina also boil reindeer lichen and drink the juice as a medicine for

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin w ...

. Acids present in lichens mean their consumption may cause an upset stomach, especially if not well cooked. A study released in May 2011 claims that some species of lichens, including ''Cladonia rangiferina'', are able to degrade the deadly prion implicated in

transmissible spongiform encephalopathies Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of progressive and fatal conditions that are associated with prions and affect the brain and nervous system of many animals, including humans, cattle, and sheep. According to the most ...

(TSEs) through the enzyme serine protease. According to a study published in 2017, reindeer lichen was able to grow on burnt soil as soon as two years after a forest fire in Northern Sweden, indicating that artificial replanting of lichen could be a useful strategy for the restoration of reindeer pastures.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q248744 rangiferina Lichen species Lichens described in 1753 Lichens of Europe Lichens of North America Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus