Lichens of rainforest in Tasmania and south-eastern Australia

The cool temperate rainforests of the Southern Hemisphere are noteworthy for the remarkable diversity and luxuriance of their lichen floras, and Tasmania is endowed with a rich and complex array of lichen species.

This book provides an insight into this realm of beautiful and unusual plants, frequently overlooked but so rich in colour and form. Only the most conspicuous species, termed macrolichens, are dealt with here. More than 200 species have been recorded in Tasmania's rainforest, and 127 are illustrated in this volume. Many also occur in the cool temperate rainforests of south-eastern Australia or New Zealand.

The book, beautifully illustrated in colour, provides introductory chapters on the nature of lichens, the composition of the lichen flora in Tasmania, and the distribution and ecology of lichens in rainforest. With some experience and familiarity, many of the macrolichen species can be identified with the naked eye or with the aid of a hand lens.

The photographic section should thus provide a ready introduction for the amateur naturalist, botanist or bushwalker. For the more determined user, or specialist, an identification key, accompanied by a glossary of technical terms, is also provided.