| Badimiella | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Campylidia (helmet-shaped conidioma) of Badimiella pteridophila | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecanorales |
| Family: | Ectolechiaceae |
| Genus: | Badimiella Malcolm & Vězda (1994) |
| Type species | |
| Badimiella serusiauxii Malcolm & Vězda (1994) | |
| Species | |
Badimiella is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Ectolechiaceae. It has two species of foliicolous (leaf-dwelling) lichens.
The genus was circumscribed in 1994 by lichenologists William McLagan Malcolm and Antonín Vězda. The genus name refers to the superficial resemblance of the apothecia to those to genus Badimia . [1] Initially a monotypic genus, another species was transferred to Badimiella (from Cyphella ) in 2001. [2]
Badimiella lichens grow as a thin layer on the surface of plants. The apothecia, or fruiting bodies, of this genus are somewhat biatorine in nature, meaning they have a soft, light-coloured (not blackened) margin. These are sessile (attached directly without a stalk) and are tightly constricted at their base. The excipulum is made up of paraplectenchymatous tissue which appear clear or hyaline. This layer contains a lot of crystals which can dissolve when treated with a solution of potassium hydroxide. The epithecium , another layer atop the apothecium, is free from algae, granules or crystals. [1]
Both the hypothecium (supporting layer beneath the hymenium) and the hymenium (fertile layer where spore development takes place) are clear in colour. The paraphyses , structures found within the hymenium, are mostly simple with few branches, and their tips are slightly swollen and clear. [1]
The asci (sac-like structures) of Badimiella are of the Byssoloma -type and can range from club-shaped to cylinder-club shaped. They usually contain eight spores. The ascospores are generally narrow and ellipse-shaped with cross-walls. Rarely, they might also have a longitudinal division. These spores lack a distinct halo around them. [1]
Conidiomata , the asexual fruiting bodies of this lichen, are campylidia -like in nature (a helmet-shaped structure found in some genera of foliicolous lichens). They stand upright, are membranous even when soaked, and do not contain algae. Initially, they resemble a helmet shape but open up as they mature. The inside layer of these structures is concave. The campylospores (asexual spores) can vary from ellipse-shaped to rod-shaped, are split into two by a septum, and are clear. [1]