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FT-Raman Spectroscopy of three Foliicolous Lichens from Costa Rican Rainforests

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2007

L. F. C. de Oliveira
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 IDP, UK.
H. G. M. Edwards
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 IDP, UK.
J. C. Feo-Manga
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 IDP, UK.
M. R. D. Seaward*
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 IDP, UK.
R. Lücking
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, The Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605-2496, USA.
*
Corresponding Author: Department of Environmental Science, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK.

Abstract

The first FT-Raman spectroscopic study of foliicolous lichens is reported. Detailed spectra obtained by macroscopic and microscopic means for Calenia triseptata Zahlbr., Echinoplaca strigulacea (Müll. Arg.) R.Sant. and Tricharia carnea (Müll. Arg.) R.Sant. collected from Costa Rican rainforests have been interpreted mainly in terms of their xalate content. The Raman spectra show a significant presence of calcium oxalate monohydrate (whewellite) despite the lack of calcium ions available in the leaf itself. A reasonable explanation for its presence could be the result of the incorporation of calcium ions from airborne dust and/or dissolved in rain falling on the canopy.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Lichen Society 2002

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Footnotes

*

Nú;cleo de Espectrosopia e Estrutura Molecular, Departtamento de Quimica, Instituto de Ciěncias Exatas, Universidade Federal de Juiz da Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-330, Brazil.

**

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Area of Analytical Chemistry, University of Léon, E-24071, Léon, Spain.