Introduction
The “Catálogo preliminar de los líquenes de las Islas Canarias” by Champion and Sánchez-Pinto (1978) offers a systematic approach to documenting lichen diversity in the Canary Islands, with a strong emphasis on methodological rigor and institutional collaboration. The catalogue aimed to support the study of lichen flora for the Museo de Ciencias Naturales of Santa Cruz de Tenerife[1].
Specimen Collection and Sources
According to the authors, the species list is based on two main sources: (a) lichens collected by C. L. Champion from 1967 to 1975 and identified by P. W. James, now housed in the British Museum herbarium, and (b) species described in the literature, mainly by Tavares (1952) and Klement (1965)[1]. Directly collected specimens were considered essential for accurate identification, while literature references expanded the catalogue’s scope.
Identification and Validation
Identification of collected specimens was carried out by lichenologist P. W. James, ensuring reliability. However, the authors note that it was not possible to check all literature references against original descriptions or specimens, so some listed species may later prove to be synonyms[1].
Organization and Distribution Codes
The catalogue uses a code system to indicate the island distribution of each species, assigning letters to each island (e.g., L for Lanzarote, F for Fuerteventura, T for Tenerife, etc.)[1]. Species sourced only from literature are marked with a triangle, and references to specific descriptions in Ducan (1970) and Poelt (1969) are indicated by (D) and (P), respectively.
Institutional Collaboration and Specimen Contributions
The Museo de Ciencias Naturales of Santa Cruz de Tenerife aimed to gather representative specimens of all lichen species found in the Canary Islands. The authors encouraged the scientific community to submit identified specimens to enrich the herbarium and improve knowledge of the region’s lichen flora[1].
Recognized Limitations
Champion and Sánchez-Pinto acknowledge the limitations of a preliminary catalogue, especially regarding species cited only in literature and the possibility of synonyms. Nonetheless, they believe the methodology provides a foundation for future research and updates to the Canary Islands lichen inventory[1].