| Bacidia | |
|---|---|
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| Bacidia schweinitzii in Augusta, Georgia, USA | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecanorales |
| Family: | Ramalinaceae |
| Genus: | Bacidia De Not. (1846) |
| Type species | |
| Bacidia rosella (Pers.) De Not. (1846) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
Bacidia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Ramalinaceae.
The genus was circumscribed by Giuseppe De Notaris in 1846. [2]
Bacidia is characterised by its crustose (crust-like) growth form. The main body (thallus) of these lichens typically appears as a thin layer that can be smooth, cracked, warty, or granular in texture. The thallus may sometimes develop specialised structures such as soredia (powdery propagules), isidia (small outgrowths), or tiny scale-like features. Its colour usually ranges from whitish to pale green, greenish-grey, pale grey, or fawn. [3]
Like all lichens, Bacidia species represent a symbiotic partnership with algae. Their photobiont (algal partner) belongs to the chlorococcoid group, featuring spherical or broadly oval-shaped cells. The fungal component produces distinctive reproductive structures called apothecia, which are disc-shaped and typically measure up to 1 mm across (occasionally reaching 1.3 mm). These apothecia sit directly on the thallus surface and can vary from flat to strongly convex in shape and come in various colours. [3]
The internal structure of the apothecia is diagnostic for the genus. They lack a thalline margin (an outer layer containing algal cells) but possess a true exciple – a protective layer composed of tightly packed, thick-walled fungal threads (hyphae) that have narrow internal channels and become gel-like. When stained with iodine, the spore-producing layer (hymenium) turns blue. Within this layer are specialised cells called paraphyses, which are rarely branched and often have swollen tips. [3]
The spore-producing cells (asci) are club-shaped to cylindrical-club-shaped and each contains eight ascospores . The spores themselves are colourless and typically long and narrow ( filiform to needle-like) or S-shaped, though some species produce more cylindrical to spindle-shaped spores. These spores usually have three or more cross-walls (septa) when mature. [3]
The genus also produces asexual reproductive structures called pycnidia, which can be sunken into or sitting on the thallus surface. These structures produce colourless spores (conidia) of various shapes, which may sometimes have cross-walls. When tested with common chemical spot tests used in lichen identification, the thallus shows no reaction, though the reproductive structures may contain various pigments. [3]
The Pannariaceae are a family of lichens in the order Peltigerales. Species from this family have a widespread distribution, but are especially prevalent in southern temperate regions.
The Ramalinaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Lecanorales. First proposed by Carl Adolph Agardh in 1821, the family now comprises 63 genera and about 750 species. Ramalinaceae lichens exhibit diverse growth forms, including crustose, fruticose, squamulose, leprose, and byssoid thalli, and form symbiotic relationships primarily with green algae of the genus Trebouxia. The family is characterised by pale-coloured thalli, apothecia that are typically pale but may darken with age, and ascospores that vary in shape and septation.
Biatora is a genus of lichens in the family Ramalinaceae. Originally circumscribed in 1817, the genus consists of crustose and squamulose lichens with green algal photobionts, biatorine apothecia, colorless, simple to 3-septate ascospores, and bacilliform pycnospores.
Bacidina is a genus of lichens in the family Ramalinaceae.
Ochrolechia is the sole genus in the fungal family Ochrolechiaceae. It comprises about 40 species of crustose lichens. These lichens typically form uneven, often thick, crust-like growths on various surfaces and are characterised by their white to pale grey thalli, which may have a greenish tint. The genus has a long evolutionary history, with fossils dating back to the Paleogene period, about 34 million years ago. Ochrolechia species have disc-like apothecia, which are usually yellowish or brownish-pink and often covered with a fine white powdery coating. The genus is widely distributed and includes both common and rare species, with some found in extreme environments such as arctic and alpine regions. Ochrolechia lichens produce diverse secondary metabolites, including orcinol depsides, depsidones, and xanthones.
Ramalina is a genus of greenish fruticose lichens that grow in the form of flattened, strap-like branches. Members of the genus are commonly called strap lichens or cartilage lichens. Apothecia are lecanorine.
Herteliana is a genus of lichen-forming fungi. It contains four species of crustose lichens.
Cliostomum is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Ramalinaceae. It has about 25 species.
Schadonia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi. Established by German lichenologist Gustav Wilhelm Körber in 1859, this genus of crustose lichens is characterised by its black, sessile apothecia, muriform ascospores, and growth on mosses, plant debris, and rocks in montane habitats. While traditionally placed in the family Ramalinaceae, recent studies have suggested its classification may be uncertain within the order Lecanorales, with some researchers proposing its placement in the Pilocarpaceae or the resurrection of the family Schadoniaceae. The genus currently comprises four recognised species.
Lecania is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Ramalinaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo in 1853. Lecania is widely distributed, especially in temperate regions, and contains about 64 species.
Toniniopsis is a genus of crustose and squamulose lichens in the family Ramalinaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Swiss lichenologist Eduard Frey in 1926, with Toniniopsis obscura designated the type and only species. The genus name of Toniniopsis is in honour of Carlo Tonini (1803–1877), who was an Italian chemist and botanist (Lichenology), who worked in Verona and was a member and President of the Academy of Agriculture. As a result of molecular phylogenetic studies, several species, formerly classified in genus Bacidia, have been transferred to Toniniopsis.
Arthothelium is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Arthoniaceae.
Candelariella is a genus of bright yellow, ocher, or greenish yellow crustose or squamulose lichens in the family Candelariaceae. Members of the genus are commonly called eggyolk lichens, goldspeck lichens, or yolk lichens. The genus was circumscribed in 1894 by Swiss lichenologist Johannes Müller Argoviensis, with Candelariella vitellina assigned as the type species.
Gyalecta is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Gyalectaceae that contains 50 species. Gyalecta was circumscribed by lichenologist Erik Acharius in 1808. It forms associations with Trentepohlia algae.
Porpidia is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Lecideaceae. Porpidia species primarily inhabit siliceous rocks, pebbles, and stonework, with rare occurrences on bark, wood, and compacted soil. The thallus, or body of the lichen, varies in appearance from thick and crusty to barely visible. It may form a continuous layer or develop cracks resulting in a segmented, areolate structure. The colour of the thallus ranges from grey and white to orange.
Rhizocarpon is a genus of crustose, saxicolous, lecideoid lichens in the family Rhizocarpaceae. The genus is common in arctic-alpine environments, but also occurs throughout temperate, subtropical, and even tropical regions. They are commonly known as map lichens because of the prothallus forming border-like bands between colonies in some species, like the common map lichen.
Megalaria is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Ramalinaceae. It contains 44 species of crustose lichens, the majority of which grow on bark.
Catillaria is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Catillariaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Italian lichenologist Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo in 1852. It is the type genus of Catillariaceae, which was circumscribed by Austrian lichenologist Josef Hafellner in 1984.
| Authority control databases: National |
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