| Astrothelium elixii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Dothideomycetes |
| Order: | Trypetheliales |
| Family: | Trypetheliaceae |
| Genus: | Astrothelium |
| Species: | A. elixii |
| Binomial name | |
| Astrothelium elixii Flakus & Aptroot (2016) | |
Astrothelium elixii is a rare species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. It is found in the Beni Biological Station Biosphere Reserve in Bolivia.
The lichen was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists Adam Flakus and André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected near the biological station in Beni Biological Station Biosphere Reserve (Yacuma Province); there, at an altitude of 175 m (574 ft), it was found on an island of lowland Amazon rainforest in Beni savanna. The species epithet honours Australian lichenologist John Alan Elix, "for his magnificent contribution to the knowledge of lichen chemistry". [1]
The thallus of Astrothelium elixii has a smooth, greyish-green cortex, and measures about 0.2 mm thick and covers an area of roughly 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter; it does not have a prothallus. It makes pear-shaped (pyriform) ascomata that measure 0.3–0.5 mm in diameter. These reproductive structures tend to aggregate together, and they are fully immersed in their containing pseudostromata. The point-like ostioles (pores) atop the ascomata are flat and black. The ascospores produced by A. elixii are narrowly ellipsoid to spindle-shaped (fusiform), measuring 70–150 by 17–32 μm. They are muriform, meaning they are divided into several smaller diamond-shaped compartments by several transverse and longitudinal septa. [1]
Astrothelium elixii contains lichexanthone, a lichen product that causes it to fluoresce a yellow colour when lit with a long-wavelength UV light. Another major substance detected in the lichen (using thin-layer chromatography) is isohypocrellin. [1]
Astrothelium is a large genus of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichens in the family Trypetheliaceae. The genus is characterized by a corticate thallus and diverse ascomata structures, which can be simple, aggregated, or forming pseudostromata. Astrothelium is also notable for the carbonized walls of its ascomata, the so-called textura intricata arrangement of cells in these walls, and various forms of distoseptate, transparent spores.
Astrothelium macroeustomum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in French Guiana, it was formally described as a new species in 2019 by lichenologists André Aptroot and Harrie Sipman. The type specimen was collected by Sipman from the Piste Crique Limonade at an altitude of 300 m (980 ft). The lichen has a mostly smooth, pale ochraceous-brown thallus that is somewhat shiny and covers areas up to 9 cm (4 in) in diameter. It is surrounded by a dark brown prothallus. It has pear-shaped (pyriform) ascomata, measuring 0.6–1.0 mm in diameter, which mostly aggregate in groups of two to five, and are more or less immersed in the tissue of the bark, below the thallus surface. They have convex, black ostioles (pores) that are surrounded by a yellowish-white ring of pruina. The ascospores are hyaline, spindle-shaped (fusiform) with five septa and measure 50–55 by 12–17 μm. The lichen contains lichexanthone, a lichen product that causes the ostioles of the ascomata to fluoresce yellow when lit with a long-wavelength UV light. The specific epithet macroeustomum refers to both its large spores and its similarity to Astrothelium eustomum.
Astrothelium studerae is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Brazil, it was formally described as a new species in 2019 by lichenologists André Aptroot and Marcela Eugenia da Silva Cáceres. The type specimen was collected by the authors from the Pedra Talhada Biological Reserve at an altitude between 500 and 700 m. The specific epithet studerae honours Anita Studer, "the protector of the isolated patch of Atlantic rainforest in Alagoas where the new species was collected".
Astrothelium stromatofluorescens is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. It is only known to occur in a few locations in Brazil and Bolivia.
Astrothelium amylosporum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Bolivia, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists Adam Flakus and André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected near Florida village in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park ; there, at an altitude of 220 m (720 ft), it was found growing on bark in a Beni savanna with trees. It is somewhat similar to Astrothelium subdisjunctum, but differs from that species in its eight-spored asci and amyloid ascospores. The species epithet amylosporum refers to this latter characteristic.
Astrothelium megaeneum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Bolivia, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists Adam Flakus and André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park ; there, at an altitude of 205 m (673 ft), it was found growing on bark in Beni savanna. It is only known to occur at the type locality. The species epithet megaeneum refers to both its characteristic large ascomata and ascospores, and its similarity to Astrothelium aeneum.
Astrothelium nigrocacuminum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Bolivia, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists Adam Flakus, Martin Kukwa, and André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected between Apolo and Mapiri villages at an altitude of 1,120 m (3,670 ft); there, in a sub-Andean Amazon forest, it was found growing on bark. It is only known to occur in the type locality. The species epithet alludes to the blackened tops of the ascomata, which protrude from the thallus. Astrothelium megochroleucum is most similar in appearance, but, unlike A. nigrocacuminum, that species has apical ostioles and stroma that fluoresce when lit with a long-wavelength UV light.
Astrothelium pallidoflavum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Bolivia, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists Adam Flakus and André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected from Noel Kempff Mercado National Park at an altitude of 220 m (720 ft); there, in a Beni savanna with trees, the lichen was found growing on bark. It is only known to occur at the type locality. The species epithet refers to the characteristic pale yellow colour of the pseudostromata. Astrothelium pallidoflavum is similar to A. cinnamomeum, but has larger ascospores than that species.
Astrothelium subscoria is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Bolivia, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists Adam Flakus and André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected from lowland Amazon forest in the Puerto Feliz colony by Río Blanco at an altitude of 137 m (449 ft). It is only known to occur at the type locality. The species epithet refers to its resemblance to Astrothelium scoria, from which it differs in having in having non-aggregated ascomata.
Astrothelium variabile is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Bolivia, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists Adam Flakus and André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected near the biological station in the Beni Biological Station Biosphere Reserve at an altitude of 175 m (574 ft); there, in a lowland Amazon forest, it was found growing on bark in Beni savanna. It is only known to occur in this type of habitat in Bolivia. The species epithet variabile alludes to the variable amounts of lichexanthone in different regions of the thallus. This is a lichen product that causes parts of the lichen to fluoresce when lit with a long-wavelength UV light. Astrothelium ochroleucoides is somewhat similar in external appearance, but it has smaller ascospores than A. variabile.
Astrothelium carrascoense is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Bolivia, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists Adam Flakus, Martin Kukwa, and André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected by the first author near Sehuencas in Carrasco National Park at an altitude of 2,250 m (7,380 ft); there it was found growing on bark along a river in a Yungas cloud forest. Its species epithet refers to the type locality, the only place it is known to occur. The lichen has large, singly occurring ascomata that are completely covered by the green thallus. Its ascospores are narrowly ellipsoid and slightly curved, measuring 150–210 by 40–50 μm. Astrothelium meristosporum is somewhat similar in appearance, but can be distinguished by its narrower (25–40 μm) ascospores than have a distinct septum in the middle, and the ostioles (pores) of its ascomata.
Bathelium mirabile is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Bolivia, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists Adam Flakus, Martin Kukwa, and André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected near the biological station in the Beni Biological Station Biosphere Reserve at an altitude of 175 m (574 ft); there, it was found growing on bark in an island of Amazon forest surrounded by Beni savanna. It is only known to occur in this and similar habitats in Bolivia. The species epithet mirabile makes reference to the "unusual combination of pigments in the pseudostromata".
Astrothelium pseudannulare is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Ecuador, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by Dutch lichenologists André Aptroot and Javier Etayo. The type specimen was collected from the Podocarpus National Park at an altitude of 3,000 m (9,800 ft); there, it was found in a montane forest growing on smooth tree bark. The lichen has a smooth and shiny, olive-green thallus comprising patches of cortex that break through the host bark, covering areas about 1.0 to 3.5 mm in diameter. No lichen products were detected from collected samples of the lichen using thin-layer chromatography. The combination of characteristics of the lichen that distinguish it from others in Astrothelium are the rough thallus; the distribution of the ascomata, which ranges from solitary to irregularly confluent; and the form of the ascomata, which ranges from prominent to sessile. The ascospores are hyaline, spindle-shaped (fusiform), and have three septa; they measure 62–80 by 20–25 μm. The species epithet pseudannulare alludes to its resemblance to Astrothelium annulare, another species with large 3-septate spores.
Astrothelium bivelum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Brazil, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists André Aptroot and Marcela Cáceres. The type specimen was collected by the authors in the Parque Natural Municipal de Porto Velho, in a primary rainforest. The lichen has a smooth and somewhat shiny, ochraceous-green thallus with a 0.4 cm-wide rough and irregular prothallus; the thallus covers areas of up to 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter. The presence of the lichen does not induce the formation of galls in the host. The ascomata are pear-shaped (pyriform), measure 0.5–0.7 mm in diameter, typically aggregate in groups of two to six, and are usually immersed in the bark tissue. The characteristics that distinguish it from other members of Astrothelium include the diffusely pseudostromatic, erumpent ascomata that are covered by thallus and have an external pink pigment, with each containing a single group of fused ascomata; and the 5-septate ascospores. A. bivelum is one of the few Astrothelium-like species with 5-septate ascospores that does not contain lichexanthone.
Astrothelium eumultiseptatum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Brazil, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists André Aptroot and Marcela Cáceres. The type specimen was collected by the authors in the Fazenda São Francisco, in a low-altitude primary rainforest. The lichen has a smooth and somewhat shiny, pale yellowish-grey thallus with a black prothallus line and covers areas of up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter. The ascomata are pear-shaped (pyriform) and typically aggregate in groups of two to five, usually immersed in the bark tissue as pseudostromata. The ostioles of the ascomata contains lichexanthone, a lichen product that causes these structures to glow yellow when lit with a long-wavelength UV light. The main characteristic that distinguishes it from other members of Astrothelium are its ascospores, which measure 65–70 by 15–17 μm, and only have transverse septa.
Astrothelium flavomurisporum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Brazil, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by lichenologists André Aptroot and Marcela Cáceres. The type specimen was collected by the authors from the Estação Ecológica de Cuniã, in a low-altitude primary rainforest. The lichen has a smooth and somewhat shiny, olive-green thallus that lacks a prothallus and covers areas of up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter. The ascomata are pear-shaped (pyriform), measuring 0.5–0.7 mm in diameter, and typically aggregate in groups of two to five, usually quite immersed in the bark tissue. Ascospores are hyaline, ellipsoid, and muriform ; they measure 165–200 by 28–35 μm and have a thickened central septum. The presence of the lichen does not induce the formation of galls in the host. Thin-layer chromatography did not reveal the presence of any lichen products in the collected lichen samples. The characteristics that distinguish Astrothelium flavomurisporum from other members of Astrothelium include the dispersed groups of fused, immersed ascomata; and the median thickening of the ascospores.
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.
Astrothelium sinuosum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in Brazil, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by André Aptroot and Emerson Gumboski. The type specimen was collected by the second author from the Rio Pardinho e Rio Vermelho Environmental Protection Area ; there, in an Atlantic Forest habitat, it was found growing on smooth tree bark.
Polymeridium xanthoexcentricum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. It is found in southwestern Bolivia.
Astrothelium chulumanense is a little-known species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae. Found in the Yungas montane forest of Bolivia, it was formally described as a new species in 2023. It is characterized by pseudostromata not differing in colour from the thallus, perithecia immersed for the most part in the thallus with the upper part elevated above and covered with orange pigment, apical and fused ostioles, the absence of lichexanthone, a clear hamathecium, eight-spored asci, and large, muriform ascospores with a thickened median septum.