Little work has been done on the lichens of Madagascar, so while over 500 species of lichens have been documented, more are expected. Madagascar can be divided into two major habitats that can be associated with lichen distribution. Wet tropical areas of siliceous bedrock make up approximately two-thirds of the country, and are where most of the lichens have been documented. Dry tropical areas of granitic and limestone bedrock make up the other one-third of the country with just over 20 species documented in these habitats. The following table lists the species known from the dry tropical habitats. The majority are corticolous species that grow on the bark of trees or shrubs. A few are saxicolous; species that grow on rocks. While many of the lichens found to date in Madagascar are relatively widespread, tropical species, some are endemic. ''Isalonactis madagascariensis'', for example, is known only from its type locality near

Isalo National Park Isalo National Park is a National Park in the Ihorombe Region of Madagascar, in the southwestern corner of the Province of Fianarantsoa. The closest town is Ranohira, and the closest cities are Toliara and Ihosy. It is a sandstone landscape that ...

, and new species continue to be found.

Gallery

File:Lichens Tsimanampetsotsa.jpg, Lichens at

Tsimanampetsotsa National Park Tsimanampetsotsa National Park also spelt Tsimanampetsotse, and known as Tsimanampetsotsa Nature Reserve is a 432 km2 national park on the south-west coast of Madagascar in the region Atsimo-Andrefana. The park is south of Toliara and sout ...

, Madagascar File:Lichens1 Isalo.jpg, Lichens at

File:Lichens2 Isalo.jpg, Dermatiscum thunbergii, a lichen on the rocks at Isalo National Park File:Lichens3 Isalo.jpg, lichens growing on the rocks at Isalo National Park, Madagascar File:Lichens5 Isalo.jpg, lichens growing on the rocks at Isalo National Park, Madagascar

References

{{Reflist Lists of lichens Biota of Madagascar