Arthoniaceae | |
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Cryptothecia rubrocincta, member of the Arthoniaceae | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Ascomycota |
Class: | Arthoniomycetes |
Order: | Arthoniales |
Family: | Arthoniaceae Rchb. (1841) |
Type genus | |
Arthonia Ach. (1806) |
The Arthoniaceae are a family of lichenized, lichenicolous and saprobic fungi in the order Arthoniales. [1] The Arthoniaceae is the largest family of Arthoniales, with around 800 species. [2] Most species in Arthoniaceae belong in Arthonia which is the largest genus with 500 species. [3] The second and third largest genus is Arthothelium with 80 species, and Cryptothecia with 60 species. [4]
The family was circumscribed by Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach in 1841. [1]
Arthonia is the type genus of Arthoniaceae, and it is known to be a polyphyletic and paraphyletic genus. [5] The process of splitting Arthonia into monophyletic groups is an ongoing process. In order to make Arthonia monophyletic, several genera have been described or resurrected. [6]
The family Arthoniaceae consists of lichens that are either lichenized or lichenicolous (living on other lichens), and sometimes lose their lichenized nature. The main body of these lichens, known as the thallus, is crustose, meaning it forms a crust-like appearance on the surface it inhabits. In lichen-forming species of Arthoniaceae, the primary photosynthetic partner (the photobiont ), is usually a green alga from the genus Trentepohlia . Occasionally, they associate with other green algae, like Chrosonothrix . [7]
The form of the reproductive structures (ascomata) varies widely within this family. They can be apothecioid (open and disc -like), lirellate (elongated and furrowed), or scattered. Some genera, like Tylophoron , have a unique type of ascomata called mazaediate . Typically, these structures lack distinct margins made of their own tissue ( proper margin ) or host tissue ( thalline margin ). [7]
The internal structure of the ascomata, known as the hamathecium , consists of branched and interconnected filaments called paraphyses . In some genera, such as Cryptothecia and Stirtonia , the hamathecium lacks a gelatinous matrix, while in others, like Arthothelium , it is densely packed, resembling a different type of fungal reproductive structure known as ascolocular ascomata. These structures can react to iodine (amyloid reaction) in various ways: not at all (non-amyloid), partially (hemiamyloid), or fully (amyloid). [7]
The asci, which are the spore-producing cells, are typically fissitunicate , meaning they have a double wall that splits during spore release. They come in various shapes, from club-shaped ( clavate ) to sac-like (saccate) or even spherical ( globose ), and contain a specialized cap structure (apical tholus ) and an eye-like feature (ocular chamber). The asci may react to iodine in different ways: non-amyloid, hemiamyloid, or amyloid. [7]
The spores produced by the asci, called ascospores , usually number eight per ascus but can sometimes be fewer, ranging from two to four or even one. These spores are segmented (transversely septate) or have multiple compartments ( muriform ), with shapes ranging from ellipsoid to clavate. Often, one end of the spore is larger (macrocephalic), or in muriform spores, there is a single large cell. The spores are typically transparent (hyaline) or brown and do not react to iodine. [7]
Arthoniaceae also produce asexual spores in structures called pycnidia, and less commonly in campylidia . The conidia (asexual spores) can vary in shape from simple, non-segmented forms to those with transverse segments, and can be oblong, rod-like ( bacillar ), needle-like ( acicular - filiform ), or sickle-shaped ( falcate ), and are typically hyaline. [7]
The family produces a diverse range of secondary metabolites (lichen products), including depsides, depsidones, anthraquinones, and derivatives of pulvinic acid. Some species also contain xanthones. [7]
The species in Arthoniaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical areas with a Mediterranean climate. [1] They are known from arctic to tropical latitudes, as well as variating altitudes from sea level to alpine regions, distributed in both humid forests and dry habitats. [6]
Collectively, the family have a highly variable ecology with lichenized, lichenicolous and saprobic fungi. [1] The majority of species are lichenized with a photobiont from Trentepohliaceae and a few species in Arthonia are lichenized with a photobiont from Chlorococcaleae. They grow on leaves, bark, bryophytes, and rocks. [8] Other species are lichenicolous (growing on other lichens), and a few species are known to be saprobic. [4]
As of March 2021 [update] , Species Fungorum accepts 25 genera and 392 species in the family Arthoniaceae. [9] This is a list of the genera in the Arthoniaceae based on a 2020 review and summary of fungal classification by Wijayawardene and colleagues. [10] Following the genus name is the taxonomic authority (those who first circumscribed the genus; standardized author abbreviations are used), year of publication, and the number of species:
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.
Melaspileaceae is a family of lichenized, lichenicolous and saprobic fungi within Ascomycota. These fungi have long been poorly understood, and the family's taxonomic position has been unclear because of insufficient molecular data. It was previously included in the order Arthoniales but recent phylogenetic analyses indicate that it instead belongs to the order Eremithallales.
The Roccellaceae are a family of fungi in the order Arthoniomycetes. Most taxa are lichenized with green algae, although some are lichenicolous, growing on other lichens.
The Stictidaceae are a family of fungi in the order Ostropales. It has 30 genera and about 240 species.
Cryptothecia is a genus of white to greenish crustose lichens that grow on bark, wood, or leaves, in tropical or subtropical areas worldwide. It has a conspicuous prothallus that develops around its periphery which can be bright red in some species, hence the common name wreath lichen. The main vegetative body (thallus) lacks a cortex (ecorticate and is often immersed in the substrate or byssoid. The medulla is white, well defined, and often peppered with calcium oxalate crystals. Ascomata are not well defined, being cushions of soft white mycelium immersed in the medullary tissue, hence the name from the Greek krypto = "to conceal" and theke = "a container or sheath". It contains Trentepohlia, a green alga, as its photobiont partner.
Felipes is a genus of lichenized fungi in the order Arthoniales. Circumscribed by Andreas Frisch and Göran Thor in 2014, it contains the single species Felipes leucopellaeus. Genetic analysis shows that the genus falls into the order Arthoniales, but its familial placement is uncertain. Felipes leucopellaeus is found across Europe and North America in temperate and boreal regions, typically in old-growth forest or wooded mires. It is crustose and corticolous.
The Lecideaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Lecideales. It contains about 30 genera and roughly 250 species. A major distinguishing characteristic of the family is the lecanoroid form of the fruiting bodies: typically circular, dark, and without a thalline margin. Most species in the family are lichenised with green algae, although a few species, scattered amongst several genera, are lichenicolous—they live on other lichens. Lecideaceae lichens tend to grow on rocks, wood, and soil. Several Lecideaceae species accelerate the weathering of rock surfaces, a process known as pedogenesis, by extending their hyphae into cracks and expelling rock flakes. This contributes to significantly faster weathering rates in certain environments, impacts various materials from natural rocks to man-made Sekishu roof tiles, and involves key biomolecules identified for survival and biodeterioration, including compounds to withstand intense ultraviolet radiation.
Briancoppinsia is a fungal genus in the family Arthoniaceae. It is monotypic, containing the single species Briancoppinsia cytospora, a lichenicolous fungus that parasitises parmelioid lichens, as well as Cladonia, Lepra, and Lecanora conizaeoides, among others. The species was first described scientifically by Léon Vouaux in 1914 as Phyllosticta cytospora. The genus was circumscribed in 2012 by Paul Diederich, Damien Ertz, James Lawrey, and Pieter van den Boom. The genus was named for Brian John Coppins, who is, according to the authors, an "eminent British lichenologist and expert of lichenicolous fungi".
Lecanographaceae is a family of mostly lichens in the order Arthoniales. The family was circumscribed in 2014, prompted by a molecular phylogenetic-based restructuring of the Arthoniales.
Roccellographaceae is a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Arthoniales. It contains three genera: Dimidiographa, Fulvophyton, and Roccellographa.
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.
Herpothallon is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Arthoniaceae. It has about 50 species.
Myriostigma is a genus of lichens in the family Arthoniaceae. The genus was circumscribed by German lichenologist August von Krempelhuber in 1874.
Gyrographa is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Roccellaceae. The genus was circumscribed in 2014 by Damien Ernst and Anders Tehler, with Gyrographa gyrocarpa assigned as the type species. This lichen, originally described by Julius von Flotow in 1825, was first placed in the genus Opegrapha. Species in the genus have a crustose thallus lacking a cortex, and a dark brown prothallus. The photobiont partner is trentepholioid. The hypothecium is thick and carbonised, and the ascospores lack a gelatinous sheath; these characteristics distinguish it from Opegrapha species. The genus name alludes to the gyrose ascomata of the type species.
Diromma is a monotypic fungal genus in the family Roccellaceae. It contains the single species Diromma dirinellum, a rare crustose lichen that grows as a parasite on the lichen Dirina ceratoniae. It has a distribution restricted to the Mediterranean Basin.
Melarthonis is fungal genus in the family Chrysotrichaceae. It is a monotypic genus, containing the single species Melarthonis piceae, a corticolous lichen. Both the genus and species were described as new to science in 2014 by Andreas Frisch and Göran Thor. The type specimen was collected from Mount Oakan at an altitude of 420 m (1,380 ft); there, it was found growing on the bark of a spruce tree in an old-growth forest. It is only known to occur in the type locality. The genus name alludes to the black ascomata that are similar to those in genus Arthonia, while the species epithet refers to the genus of the host tree (Picea).
Sporodophoron is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Arthoniaceae. It includes four corticolous (bark-dwelling) crustose lichen species. Sporodophoron is uniquely characterised by the formation of fruiting structures called sporodochia, which are open conidiomata in the form of tufts of conidiophores on the thallus. Although these lichens bear a strong resemblance to Inoderma, another genus within the same family, Sporodophoron's distinct chemical makeup sets it apart from its lichen relatives. Collectively, the genus has a widespread geographical distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, with species found in distinct habitats in North America, Europe, Japan, and the Russian Far East.
Coniocarpon is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Arthoniaceae. It has eight species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichens. This genus is distinct for its crystalline orange, red, and purple quinoid pigments in the ascomata that turn purple in potassium hydroxide solution, its colourless, transversely septate ascospores with large apical cells, and its rounded to lirellate ascomata.
Arthonia toensbergii is a species of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungus in the family Arthoniaceae. It occurs in old-growth boreal rainforests in Norway, where it parasitises the lichen Mycoblastus affinis growing on trunks and branches of Norway spruce.