Le cycle des Nostoc des genres Peltigera et Collema en cultures in vitro et dans le thalle lichénique
The isolation and culture of Nostoc symbionts of four Peltigera and of Collema tenax has revealed the presence of a biological cycle. Our observations, taken in conjunction with those of other authors on free-living species, suggest that the photosymbiont of Peltigera canina, P. rufescens, P. horizontalis, and P. spuria is Nostoc punctiforme (Kütz.) Hariot, that of Collema tenax is Nostoc commune Vauch. In the lichen thallus, Nostoc is at the stage called "punctiforme." This stage stays stable as long as the thallus is undamaged. If wounding occurs, the opening of the polysaccharide sheath of the trichomes causes motile hormogonia to escape. These, in nature, colonize the squamuliform isidia of Peltigera praetextata and, in culture, they allow isolation of Nostoc strains from the lichens studied.