THE PROBLEMS OF NORTH AMERICAN 

 LICHENOLOGY 



Bruce Fink 



Several years ago the writer gave an address, later published,* 

 covering certain phases of the subject of this paper, and he 

 will now attempt to cover other ground. Many of the licheno- 

 logical problems which should claim some attention from Ameri- 

 can botanists are not strictly North American problems, but some 

 of these must be considered as well as the problems that are 

 more strictly American. Of problems which may be regarded 

 more strictly ours as American botanists, we wish to consider 

 several, without attempting to include all. 



A matter of some importance is popularizing American lich- 

 enology without degrading it. This has been done for some 

 other portions of our flora, and can be done for the lichens. 

 However, the task is not an easy one, but requires the best effort 

 of a trained botanist, who is at the same time a student of 

 lichens. Such a work, with profusion of illustration and work- 

 able keys to families, genera, and species, would no doubt bring 

 to lichenology many workers who could aid in making the flora 

 of various regions known. 



Careful studies are needed over our whole territory, in order 

 that the lichens may be collected and become well known. Nor 

 is it collecting alone that is wanted, good as that is, but we 

 need workers who will both collect and study. Many have 

 contributed largely by collecting and sending their collections to 

 lichenists for study. Some of these persons have come to 

 possess a fairly good knowledge of lichenology and have become 

 sharp-eyed collectors. Nevertheless, the best collecting is done 

 by persons who are making careful studies of the materials 

 collected. One may, perhaps, be able to collect the larger and 

 more easily distinguishable foliose or fruticose lichens without 



* Fink, Bruce. Two Centuries of North American Lichenology. Proc. 

 Iowa Acad. Sci. n : 11-38. pi. 1. 1904. 



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