Albemarlea

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Albemarlea
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Umbilicariales
Family: Fuscideaceae
Genus: Albemarlea
Lendemer & R.C.Harris (2016)
Species:
A. pamlicoensis
Binomial name
Albemarlea pamlicoensis
Lendemer & R.C.Harris (2016)

Albemarlea is a fungal genus in the family Fuscideaceae. [1] A monotypic genus, it contains the single corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen species Albemarlea pamlicoensis discovered in the Bull Neck Swamp of the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula, North Carolina. Characterized by a crust-like thallus, Fuscidea -type asci, and a green coccoid photobiont , A. pamlicoensis demonstrates unique morphological characteristics that distinguish it from other polysporous lichens. Although it shows certain similarities to the genera Maronea and Piccolia , the differences in apothecia and absence of specific pigments mark its distinctiveness. As this species has been found in only one location despite extensive surveys, it highlights the need for continued conservation efforts and further research to ascertain its full distribution and potential threats.

Contents

Taxonomy

Albemarlea is a newly classified genus introduced by James Lendemer and Richard C. Harris. It is named after the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula in North Carolina and the Albemarle Sound, a large body of water adjacent to the peninsula. The sole known population of this genus is found in the Bull Neck Swamp, a conservation area in the same region that boasts the largest untouched shoreline on the Albemarle Sound. The genus' only species, Albemarlea pamlicoensis, was also named by Lendemer and R.C. Harris, with the name intended as a tribute to the Pamlico Sound, a body of water to the south of the type locality. The type specimen was found in Washington County, North Carolina at Bull Neck Swamp, within a mixed hardwood forest featuring species such as beech, oak, maple, and holly. [2]

Phylogenetic relationships within the family Fuscideaceae, where Albemarlea was tentatively placed, remain to be fully confirmed with molecular data. A related genus could be Maronea , which displays similar characteristics, but differences in apothecia and the absence of certain secondary compounds suggest distinctions between the two. It has also been postulated that the genus might be related to Piccolia , primarily due to similarities in apothecial anatomy, although this connection remains to be validated through molecular studies. [2]

Description

Albemarlea pamlicoensis is identified by its crustose thallus, Fuscidea-type asci with numerous hyaline, ellipsoid, simple ascospores , and a green coccoid photobiont. It further possesses biatorine apothecia and two types of pycnidia – conspicuous macropycnidia with narrowly fusiform, two-celled hyaline macroconidia, and inconspicuous micropycnidia embedded in the thallus, producing hyaline, curved or bent rod-shaped simple macroconidia. No lichen substances have been detected in this species, and it tests negative for common chemical spot tests. [2]

Similar species

In field observations, Albemarlea pamlicoensis might be confused with other crustose lichens that produce sporodochia . Its abundant macropycnidia, which create a distinctive white mass that resembles sporodochia, can be misleading. However, its unique combination of morphological characteristics sets it apart from other polysporous lichens. Although the Fuscidea-type asci indicate a potential connection to the genus Maronea, the absence of secondary compounds and distinct form of apothecia support a clear distinction between the two. Furthermore, its apothecial anatomy is quite similar to that of the genus Piccolia, particularly the species P. conspersa and P. nannaria . Despite this, the absence of specific pigments in the apothecia and unique form of conidia differentiate Albemarlea from this genus as well. [2]

Habitat and distribution

Despite extensive surveys in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain (MACP), Albemarlea pamlicoensis has only been found in a single location – at the base of a mature American beech tree in the type locality. The habitat at this location is atypical for the region, featuring a mature hardwood forest surrounded by swamp forests hosting different vascular plant and lichen communities. This rare lichen species was not found at other locations with similar natural communities. [2]

Conservation

Given its limited distribution – known from only a single location – Albemarlea pamlicoensis could potentially be vulnerable to environmental changes or disturbances. Its solitary known habitat in the Bull Neck Swamp, a protected area, is currently safeguarded, but ongoing monitoring and further exploration of the MACP are required to understand the true distribution and potential threats to this lichen species. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pertusariales</span> Order of fungi

The Pertusariales are an order of fungi in the class Lecanoromycetes, comprising 8 families, 31 genera, and over 600 species, many of which form lichens. This diverse group is characterized by complex taxonomic history and ongoing phylogenetic revisions. Originally proposed by Maurice Choisy in 1949 and later formally published by the lichenologists David L. Hawksworth and Ove Eriksson in 1986, Pertusariales has undergone significant reclassification due to molecular phylogenetics studies. The order includes well-known genera such as Pertusaria and Ochrolechia, as well as families like Megasporaceae and Icmadophilaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuscideaceae</span> Family of lichen-forming fungi

Fuscideaceae is a family of fungi that form symbiotic] relationships with algae to create lichens. These lichens typically have a crust-like appearance and are found worldwide, though they are most common in temperate regions. The family includes five genera and about 55 species, which primarily grow on tree bark, rocks, or occasionally on wood or leaves. Fuscideaceae lichens are characterised by their reproductive structures, cup-like formations called apothecia, which can vary in colour from red to dark brown or black. The family has undergone several changes in its classification over the years, with recent genetic studies placing it within the order Umbilicariales. Fuscideaceae lichens produce various chemical compounds, some of which are unique to this family, and these chemicals are often used to help identify different species.

Phlyctis psoromica is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Phlyctidaceae. Native to New South Wales, Australia, it was described as new to science in 2011. This lichen is characterised by its whitish to pale blue-grey crustose thallus and distinctive secondary chemistry.

<i>Varicellaria</i> Genus of lichen

Varicellaria is a genus of crustose lichens. It is the only genus in the family Varicellariaceae.

Teuvoa is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megasporaceae. It was first classified by lichenologists Mohammad Sohrabi and Steven Leavitt in 2013, with Teuvoa uxoris assigned as the type species. This genus was delineated from the larger genus, Aspicilia, following a molecular phylogenetic analysis which revealed that the Aspicilia uxoris species group constituted a distinct lineage in the Megasporaceae. Initially containing three species, two additional species native to China were added in 2018. Teuvoa is characterised by its small ascospores and conidia, and the absence of secondary metabolites.

<i>Fuscidea multispora</i> Species of lichen

Fuscidea multispora is a species of foliicolous (leaf-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Fuscideaceae. Found in Bolivia, it is known to occur only in a single high-altitude locality in a national park, where it grows on the leaves of coniferous trees from the genus Podocarpus.

Lecidea hoganii is a rare species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Lecideaceae. It is known to occur only in Boulder, Colorado, where it grows in association with other lichens in mixed saxicolous communities on sandstone in the Fox Hills Formation. The lichen is characterized by its thick white, chalky thallus, sessile to raised apothecia, presence of a dark pink pigment in the hymenium, and absence of secondary compounds.

Maronora is a monotypic fungal genus in the family Fuscideaceae. It contains the single species Maronora cyanosora, a corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen. It is characterised by its distinctive bluish-grey circular soralia on the thallus, Lecanora-like apothecia, and simple, hyaline ascospores.

<i>Piccolia nannaria</i> Species of lichen

Piccolia nannaria is a species of crustose lichen in the class Lecanoromycetes. It is widespread but uncommon in the coastal plain of southeastern North America. Initially thought to be corticolous (bark-dwelling), later collection of the lichen suggest that it may be lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling).

Malmidea albomarginata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela.

Malmidea allobakeri is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela.

Malmidea allopapillosa is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela.

Malmidea atlanticoides is a little-known species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Brazil.

Malmidea hernandeziana is a little-known species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela. The distinctive features of this species include a thallus with coralloid-like outgrowths, light-coloured fruiting bodies (ascomata) with a specialised structural layer, relatively large spores that tend to have slightly thickened walls at their ends, and the absence of specific lichen products typically found in other species of the genus. This combination of characteristics sets Malmidea hernandeziana apart from other species in the genus Malmidea.

Malmidea isidiifera is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Brazil and Venezuela.

Malmidea leucopiperis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Brazil.

Malmidea rhodopisoides is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Brazil.

Malmidea subcinerea is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela. The lichen has a smooth, dull thallus varying in colour from grey to olive, with a white internal medulla. It has sessile, rounded apothecia with light beige to greyish-brown discs.

Malmidea volcaniana is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela. A major characteristic of the species is the coralloid (coral-shaped) clumps of isidia-like outgrowths on the thallus surface.

Meridianelia is a fungal genus in the family Elixiaceae. It consists of the single species Meridianelia maccarthyana, a corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen. This lichen forms greyish-white, crust-like growths on tree bark in subalpine woodlands of Tasmania, Australia. Discovered in 2003 and scientifically described in 2009, Meridianelia is classified in the small fungal family Elixiaceae based on its genetic and structural characteristics. The genus is notable for its unique reproductive structures and its apparent rarity, having been found in only a few locations despite growing in a relatively common type of forest.

References

  1. ↑ "Albemarlea". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lendemer, James C.; Harris, Richard C.; Ruiz, Ana Maria (2016). "A Review of the Lichens of the Dare Regional Biodiversity Hotspot in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain of North Carolina, Eastern North America". Castanea. 81 (1): 1–77. doi: 10.2179/15-073r2 . S2CID   88149933.
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