a. Chem. [f. Lecanora, the name of a genus of lichens.] Lecanoric acid: a crystalline substance obtained by Schunck from certain members of the genus Lecanora of lichens. Hence Lecanorate, a salt of lecanoric acid; Lecanorin = lecanoric acid.
1844. Fownes, Chem., 488. Fresh dye-lichens, exhausted by ether, yield a crystalline substance, which when purified by solution in alcohol, is perfectly white; to this the name lecanorine has been given. Ibid. (1852), (ed. 4), 577. Boiled with water for some time, erythric acid absorbs 2 eq. and yields picro-erythrin … and a new acid … which is termed by some chemists lecanoric, by others orsellinic acid.
1865. Watts, Dict. Chem., III. 565. The lecanorates gradually decompose, especially when heated, yielding orsellinic acid, and uliimately orcin.
