Albemarlea | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
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.
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
The Arthoniales is the second largest order of mainly crustose lichens, but fruticose lichens are present as well. The order contains around 1500 species, while the largest order with lichenized fungi, the Lecanorales, contains more than 14000 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.
Lichen morphology describes the external appearance and structures of a lichen. These can vary considerably from species to species. Lichen growth forms are used to group lichens by "vegetative" thallus types, and forms of "non-vegetative" reproductive parts. Some lichen thalli have the aspect of leaves ; others cover the substrate like a crust, others such as the genus Ramalina adopt shrubby forms, and there are gelatinous lichens such as the genus Collema.
Varicellaria is a genus of crustose lichens. It is the only genus in the family Varicellariaceae.
Ochrolechia africana, commonly known as the frosty saucer lichen, is a species of crustose and corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Ochrolechiaceae. It is a widely distributed species, found in tropical and subtropical areas of southern Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, and South America. The lichen is characterized by the presence of a white "frosty" or powdery apothecia.
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.
Bacidina pycnidiata is a species of crustose lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It is widely distributed in Europe and North Asia. It is characterised by its whitish or cream-coloured pycnidia with long and ostiolar necks.
Piccolia is a small genus of crustose lichens in the class Lecanoromycetes. First circumscribed by Italian lichenologist Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo in 1864, it contains ten species. Due to a lack of molecular data, it has not been assigned to an order or family.
Lecidea tessellata is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Lecideaceae. It was formally described as a species in 1819 by German botanist Heinrich Flörke. In northern North America, it is common and widely distributed, growing on non-calcareous rocks. It also occurs in Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Europe, and Russian Asia. In India, it has been recorded only from the alpine Western Himalayas at an altitude of 3,450 m (11,320 ft). Its southern distribution extends to James Ross Island, where it is locally common.
Coenogonium australiense is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Coenogoniaceae. Found in Australia, it was formally described as a new species in 2018 by lichenologists Gintaras Kantvilas and Robert Lücking. The type specimen was collected by the first author near Little Fisher River (Tasmania) at an altitude of 880 m (2,890 ft), where it was found in a rainforest growing on Nothofagus cunninghamii. The species epithet australiense refers to its geographical distribution. In addition to Tasmania, the lichen has also been documented from New South Wales and Kangaroo Island. In the latter location it was found in remnant stands of coniferous woodland, where it was growing on the bark of old, fissured Callitris trunks.
Leptogium compactum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Collemataceae. Found in northwestern North America, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by Daphne Stone, Frances Anderson, and James Hinds. It is distinguished from related Leptogium species by the tightly packed hyphae in the medulla; this characteristic internal anatomy is alluded to in the species epithet compactum.
Pertusaria galapagoensis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Pertusariaceae. Found on the Galápagos Islands, it was formally described as a new species in 2015 by Elix, Yánez-Ayabaca, A.W.Archer & Bungartz. The type specimen was collected on Floreana Island at an altitude of 371 m (1,217 ft), where it was found growing on the bark of a south-exposed trunk of Cedrella odorata. The species epithet refers to its distribution.
Candelariella clarkiae is a rare species of crustose lichen in the family Candelariaceae. It was discovered in Colorado, USA, and formally described as a new species in 2015 by lichenologists Erin Tripp and James Lendemer. It was originally published with the species epithet clarki, but this was subsequently corrected to clarkiae. The name honors Dina Clark, Collections Manager at the University of Colorado herbarium, for her significant contributions to the knowledge of the Colorado flora, particularly the high plains ecosystems flanking the Southern Rocky Mountains. The authors note of the lichen that "it is bright and sunny, just like Dina’s disposition".
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.
Candelariella biatorina is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Candelariaceae. It is characterised by its distinct yellow hue and apothecia that are biatorine in form. The lichen grows on the trunks of various conifer species across the western United States, and in the Russian Far East.
Chrysothrix chamaecyparicola is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Chrysotrichaceae. Found in the eastern United States, it was formally described as a new species in 2010 by lichenologist James Lendemer. Initially thought to be a North American population of the lookalike Chrysothrix flavovirens, it is now recognized as a separate species due to its distinguishing characteristics. It is particularly noted for its strong affinity for the bark of Atlantic white cedar trees and its dominance in conifer swamps across eastern North America.
Gyalideopsis aptrootii is a species of corticolous lichen in the family Gomphillaceae. Found in southern Brazil, it was described as a new species in 2018. Defining features of this lichen include the unique crescent-shaped structure of its hyphophores, the single-spored asci, and the relatively small size of the ascospores.
Phlyctis subhimalayensis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Phlyctidaceae. It is found in certain high-elevations regions of the Himalayas and Southwestern China.
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).
Ramboldia blochiana is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Ramboldiaceae. The species is characterized by a sorediate thallus and shares chemical and morphological characteristics with the widespread Ramboldia russula, but it also possesses distinct chemical components and a unique geographical distribution. Though it is found across tropical and subtropical regions of the New World on various substrates, its distribution might be wider than currently known due to collection biases against sterile, asexually reproducing crustose lichens.