Biatora epirotica

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Biatora epirotica
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Ramalinaceae
Genus: Biatora
Species:
B. epirotica
Binomial name
Biatora epirotica
Printzen & T.Sprib. (2011)

Biatora epirotica is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. [1] Found in specific regions of the Balkans and Turkey, it was described as new to science in 2011 by lichenologists Christian Printzen and Toby Spribille.

Contents

Taxonomy

Biatora epirotica was first described by lichenologists Christian Printzen and Toby Spribille in 2011. The species epithet is derived from Epirus, the geographical region in the Balkans where most of the samples were collected. The type specimen was found by the second author in Epirus, Greece, on twigs of Abies borisii-regis . [2]

Description

The thallus of Biatora epirotica lacks a cortex , is smooth to rimose , and ranges in colour from beige to gray, often with a greenish tinge. The surface is matt, lacks soredia, and can grow up to 10 mm (0.4 in) in diameter. The lichen's photobiont is trebouxioid . [2]

Apothecia of Biatora epirotica are sessile, with a diameter of 0.3–0.6 mm, and a white to pale ochre disc . The lichen has 8-spored asci and (0–)3-septate ascospores, which are hyaline and narrowly ellipsoid, sometimes slightly bent. [2]

Biatora epirotica closely resembles B. pallens but can be distinguished by its larger ascospores and a deeper hymenium. B. pallens has narrower ascospores and contains usnic acid, which is not present in B. epirotica. [2]

Habitat and distribution

Biatora epirotica has been found on twigs of various tree species, such as Abies borisii-regis, A. nordmanniana , Laurus nobilis , Ostrya carpinifolia , and Quercus coccifera , as well as on trunks and dead twigs of young Picea orientalis . The lichen primarily occurs in mountainous areas with high humidity and extensive cyanolichen communities at elevations between 450 and 1,500 m (1,480 and 4,920 ft). [2]

The known distribution of Biatora epirotica is centred around the Black Sea region, well-known for being a refugium of the Tertiary and Pleistocene periods. Other Biatora species with similar distributional ranges include B. bacidioides , B. pontica , and B. longispora . The latter two species are also known from eastern North America and East Asia, suggesting that Biatora epirotica might also be found in these regions. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Abies borisii-regis</i> Species of conifer

Abies borisii-regis is a species of fir native to the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula in Bulgaria, northern Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia. It occurs at altitudes of 800–1,800 m, on mountains with an annual rainfall of over 1,000 mm.

<i>Biatora</i> Genus of lichens in the family Ramalinaceae

Biatora is a genus of lichens in the family Ramalinaceae. First described 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. According to the Dictionary of the Fungi, the genus contains 42 species that are widely distributed in temperate areas.

Calopadia editiae is a species of lichen in the family Pilocarpaceae. It is found in Tanzania, with a distribution that extends to Costa Rica and the Galápagos Islands. It can be found on leaves or bark and is characterised by its pale grey to brownish grey colour, rounded apothecia and distinctive pruina. Described as new to science in 2011, the species was named in honour of Hungarian lichenologist Edit Farkas.

Calopadia cinereopruinosa is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Pilocarpaceae. Found in the Galápagos Islands, it was described as new to science in 2011. It is characterized by its grey-black, white-pruinose apothecia and aeruginous hypothecium. This lichen usually grows on the bark of stems and twigs in the humid zones of the islands.

Diorygma microsporum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It was described as new to science in 2011. It has a neotropical distribution, and has been collected in Florida, Colombia, Brazil, and India. Notable for its small ascospores, this lichen thrives in undisturbed rainforests and serves as an indicator of forest health.

Biatora aureolepra is a species of lichen in the family Ramalinaceae, first found in inland rainforests of British Columbia.

Biatora ligni-mollis is a species of lichen in the family Ramalinaceae, first found in inland rainforests of British Columbia.

Atrophysma is a fungal genus in the family Pannariaceae. It contains the single species Atrophysma cyanomelanos, a crustose lichen found only in Alaska.

Halecania athallina is a species of lichen in the family Leprocaulaceae. Found in Alaska, it was described as new to science in 2020 by British lichenologist Alan Fryday. The type specimen was discovered in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area in Glacier Bay National Park. There it was found growing on argillite rock on an alpine heath with rock outcrops.

Fuscopannaria dillmaniae is a species of lichen in the family Pannariaceae. Found in Alaska, it was described as a new species in 2020 by lichenologist Toby Spribille.

Sclerococcum fissurinae is a species of lichenicolous fungus in the family Dactylosporaceae. Found in Alaska, it was formally described as a new species in 2020 by Sergio Pérez-Ortega. The type specimen was collected in the Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, just outside of Glacier Bay National Park. Here it was found growing on the script lichen species Fissurina insidiosa, which itself was growing on the bark of an alder tree. The specific epithet refers to its host.

<i>Biatora kalbii</i> Species of lichen

Biatora kalbii is a species of squamulose lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It has a pantropical distribution.

Spilonema maritimum is a species of lichen in the family Coccocarpiaceae. Found in Alaska, it was described as a new species in 2020 by lichenologists Toby Spribille and Alan Fryday. The type specimen was collected in Juneau Borough, on the west side of Douglas Island. Here it was found growing on exposed seashore rocks roughly 2 m (6.6 ft) above the high tide line. Its specific epithet maritimum alludes to its close association with maritime rocks.

Sagiolechia phaeospora is a species of crustose lichen in the family Sagiolechiaceae. It is found in the alpine tundra of Alaska.

Hypogymnia wilfiana is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is found in western North America, where it grows on conifer trees.

Elixia cretica is a rare species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Elixiaceae. It is only known to occur in a single location in the mountains of the Greek island of Crete.

Biatora oxneri is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It is found in the Russian Far East and in South Korea.

Biatora pacifica is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It is found in Russia, Japan, and South Korea, where it grows along the Pacific coast. It inhabits the bark of a variety of coniferous and deciduous plants.

Biatora radicicola is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) and saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It is found in various locations in Europe, where it grows in sheltered and humid microhabitats, often on exposed root bark at the base of trees.

<i>Biatora pontica</i> Species of lichen

Biatora pontica is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), leprose lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It is a widely distributed species, having been recorded in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.

References

  1. "Biatora epirotica Printzen & T. Sprib". Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lumbsch, H.T.; Ahti, T.; Altermann, S.; De Paz, G.A.; Aptroot, A.; Arup, U.; et al. (2011). "One hundred new species of lichenized fungi: a signature of undiscovered global diversity" (PDF). Phytotaxa. 18 (1): 9–11. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.18.1.1.