| Aphanopsidaceae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecanorales |
| Family: | Aphanopsidaceae Printzen & Rambold (1995) |
| Type genus | |
| Aphanopsis | |
| Genera | |
Aphanopsidaceae is a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Lecanorales. It contains the genera Aphanopsis and Steinia , comprising five species. [1] The family was circumscribed in 1995 by the lichenologists Christian Printzen and Gerhard Rambold. [2]
The Aphanopsidaceae family is a group of lichens characterised by their crustose (crust-like) thallus, which is the main body of the lichen. They engage in a mutualistic relationship with a photobiont , specifically a chlorococcoid type, which refers to the spherical green algae that provide the lichen with nutrients through photosynthesis. [3]
The reproductive structures of Aphanopsidaceae, known as ascomata, are apothecioid , resembling small, open cups. These structures are biatorine , meaning they have a reduced or almost invisible margin around the rim. The internal structure of the ascomata includes a network of paraphyses, which are branched and interconnected filaments. These paraphyses are non-amyloid, indicating they do not react to staining with iodine, a common method used to study fungal microstructures. [3]
The asci, the spore-bearing cells, have thin walls but are distinguished by a distinct apical structure that is strongly amyloid. This apical structure is plug- or tube-shaped and is part of the tholus , the upper part of the ascus. The shape of the asci varies from cylindrical to club-like ( clavate ). Aphanopsidaceae lichens typically produce 8 to 16 spores per ascus. These ascospores are non-septate, meaning they lack internal divisions, and range in shape from spherical (globose) to broadly oval (ellipsoid). They are clear (hyaline) and do not react to amyloid staining. Additionally, Aphanopsidaceae have conidiomata, which are structures that produce asexual spores called conidia. These conidia are non-septate, ellipsoid in shape, and also hyaline. [3]
The Arthoniaceae are a family of lichenized, lichenicolous and saprobic fungi in the order Arthoniales. The Arthoniaceae is the largest family of Arthoniales, with around 800 species. Most species in Arthoniaceae belong in Arthonia which is the largest genus with 500 species. The second and third largest genus is Arthothelium with 80 species, and Cryptothecia with 60 species.
Gloeoheppiaceae is a family of ascomycete fungi in the order Lichinales. The family contains ten species distributed amongst three genera. Most species are lichenised with cyanobacteria. Species in this family are mostly found in desert areas. Modern molecular phylogenetics analysis casts doubt on the phylogenetic validity of the family, suggesting a more appropriate placement of its species in the family Lichinaceae.
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 circumscribed by 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.
The Gomphillaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Graphidales. Species in this family are found mostly in tropical regions.
The Stictidaceae are a family of fungi in the order Ostropales. It has 30 genera and about 240 species.
The Icmadophilaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Pertusariales. The family was circumscribed in 1993 by the mycologist Dagmar Treibel. It contains 9 genera and 35 species.
Porina is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Trichotheliaceae. As of August 2024, Species Fungorum accepts 161 species of Porina.
Microcalicium is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the order Pertusariales. It is the only genus in the monotypic family Microcaliciaceae. These taxa were circumscribed by the Finnish lichenologist Edvard August Vainio in 1927, with Microcalicium disseminatum assigned as the type species.
Candelariaceae is a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Candelariales. It contains seven genera and about 73 species.
Fuscideaceae is a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Umbilicariales. It contains five genera and about 55 species of crustose lichens.
Paraphaeosphaeria pilleata is a species of fungus in the Lophiostomataceae family. The species fruits exclusively in the lower parts of the culms of the black needlerush. It is found on the Atlantic Coast of North Carolina.
The Tephromelataceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. The family was circumscribed by Austrian lichenologist Josef Hafellner in 1984. Tephromelataceae comprises the genera Tephromela, Calvitimela, Mycoblastus and Violella, which together constitute a well-supported monophyletic group.
Hertelidea is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Stereocaulaceae. Characteristics of the genus include carbon-black ring or outer margin (exciple) around the fruit body disc (apothecium), eight-spored, Micarea-type asci and mostly simple, hyaline ascospores that lack a transparent outer layer. Hertelidea species mostly grow on wood, although less frequently they are found on bark or soil. While the type species, Hertelidea botryosa, has a widespread distribution, most of the other species are found only in Australia.
Schaereria is a genus of lichen-forming fungi. It is the sole genus in the family Schaereriaceae, which itself is the only family in the Schaereriales, an order in the subclass Ostropomycetidae of the class Lecanoromycetes. Most Schaereria species are crustose lichens that live on rocks. Schaereria was first proposed by Gustav Wilhelm Körber in 1855 and was later taken up by other lichenologists despite periods of disuse.
The Rhizocarpales are an order of lichen-forming fungi in the subclass Lecanoromycetidae of the class Lecanoromycetes. It has two families, Rhizocarpaceae and Sporastatiaceae, which contain mostly crustose lichens.
Carbonicola is a small genus of lichen-forming fungi. It is the sole genus in the monogeneric family Carbonicolaceae. The genus, which collectively has an almost cosmopolitan distribution, contains three squamulose lichens that prefer to grow on burned wood in temperate areas of the world.
Massalongiaceae is a small family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Peltigerales. It has three genera and seven species.
Architrypethelium hyalinum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Costa Rica and Brazil, it was formally described as a new species in 2008 by lichenologist André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected by Harrie Sipman from the Las Cruces Biological Station in Puntarenas. The lichen has a smooth to uneven, olive-green thallus. Its ascomata occur solitarily, have an apical ostiole, and measure 0.7–1.5 mm in diameter. Ascospores number 4 to 8 per ascus, have an oblong to ellipsoid shape with 3 septa, and measure 100–150 by 30–50 μm. These spores are among the largest of the 3-septate lichens in the Trypetheliaceae. Both the thallus and ascomata contain lichexanthone, a lichen product that causes these structures to glow yellow when lit with a long-wavelength UV light; A. hyalinum is the only species in genus Architrypethelium that contains lichexanthone.
Ostropomyces is a genus of fungi in the family Stictidaceae. It has two species, both of which are found in tropical forests in northern Thailand, where they grow as saprotrophs on bark.
The Pyrenotrichaceae are a small family of fungi in the order Chaetothyriales. It contains two genera, and a total of six species. The genus Pyrenothrix has two species of bark- or leaf-dwelling lichens, while Neophaeococcomyces has four species of saprobic fungi.