Boreoplaca

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Boreoplaca
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Umbilicariales
Family: Ophioparmaceae
Genus: Boreoplaca
Timdal (1994)
Species:
B. ultrafrigida
Binomial name
Boreoplaca ultrafrigida
Timdal (1994)
Boreoplaca
Holotype: Yakutia, Russia [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Rhizoplacopsis weichingiiJ.C.Wei & Q.M.Zhou (2006) [3]

Boreoplaca is a fungal genus in the family Ophioparmaceae. [4] [5] It comprises the single species Boreoplaca ultrafrigida, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), squamulose lichen. Both the genus and species were described in 1994 by the Norwegian lichenologist Einar Timdal. The lichen is found in Eastern Siberia, the Russian Far East as well as in adjacent territories of north-east China, and in South Korea. The main characteristics of the lichen are its squamulose thallus, black lecideine apothecia, and Fuscidea -type asci.

Contents

Systematics

The type specimen of Boreoplaca ultrafrigida was collected from the Ojmyakonskii region of Yakutia in Russia at an elevation of 500 to 600 m (1,600 to 2,000 ft). The lichen is known to occur in a few localities near in Yakutia's Indigirka river valley, where it grows on steep, sun-exposed boulder faces. Other lichens that were found growing near the type specimen were Anamylopsora pulcherrima , Dimelaena oreina , Rhizocarpon renneri , Rhizocarpon subdiscrepans , and Umbilicaria muhlenbergii . [1]

Boreoplaca ultrafrigida was previously known as Rhizoplacopsis weichingii, which was described in 2006 but later found to be synonymous. [2] The family Rhizoplacopsidaceae was initially created for this species, but its familial placement is now considered uncertain. [2]

The species shows morphological similarities to Lecidea sect. Psora, while its ascus type resembles that of the Hypocenomyce friesii -complex and the H. scalaris -complex. Molecular phylogenetics analyses support its placement in the order Umbilicariales. [2]

Timdal initially tentatively suggested a placement in the family Biatoraceae. [1] The amyloid reaction pattern of the ascus tips in Boreoplaca is considered taxonomically significant, with the presence of amyloid asci exhibiting a strongly amyloid dome supporting its relationship with Ophioparma and potential inclusion in Ophioparmaceae. [2]

Description

Boreoplaca ultrafrigida is a lichen characterised by a squamiform (scale-like) thallus, which grows in irregular rosette patterns, often expanding along cracks in the substrate . The thallus can reach up to 4 cm in length and 1.5 cm in width. The individual squamules (small, scale-like lobes of the thallus) are initially closely attached to the surface but soon elongate and develop lobes , with each squamule measuring up to 5 mm in diameter. The upper surface of the thallus is medium brown, smooth to slightly wrinkled or cracked, and lacks any powdery coating ( pruina ). The margins and underside are black, and the lichen is anchored to its substrate by rhizines, which are specialised root-like structures. [1]

The upper cortex, the outermost layer of the thallus, is 50–75 μm thick and pale brown. It is composed of thin-walled hyphae (fungal filaments) that are arranged mostly perpendicular to the surface. These hyphae contain crystals that dissolve in potassium hydroxide solution (K) and are C+ (red). Beneath the upper cortex lies the photobiont layer , which is 50–100 μm thick and contains unicellular green algae, Trebouxia , that are up to 15 μm in diameter. These algae form a symbiotic relationship with the fungal partner, providing it with nutrients through photosynthesis. [1]

The medulla, the internal tissue of the thallus, is loosely organised with thin-walled hyphae, similar to those in the upper cortex but lacking crystals and not reacting to standard chemical tests (PD−, K−, C−). The lower cortex, up to 40 μm thick, is dark greenish-black and lacks any crystals. [1]

The apothecia (fruiting bodies) are lecideine (with a black, non-powdery surface) and can be up to 2 mm in diameter. They are black, dull, and aggregated along the margins of the squamules in the central part of the thallus, becoming angular in shape. The disc of the apothecia is slightly concave to slightly convex, with a thick, persistent margin. The excipulum , or outer edge of the apothecia, is annulate (ring-like) and composed of radiating hyphae, with an olivaceous-black rim that turns greener in potassium hydroxide. [1]

Inside the apothecia, the hymenium (fertile layer) is 40–50 μm high and does not contain crystals or oil droplets. It is amyloid, meaning it reacts with iodine, and is overlaid by a greenish-black epithecium , which turns brighter green in potassium hydroxide. The paraphyses (sterile filaments) are weakly conglutinated (stuck together), unbranched or minimally branched, and thin-walled, with green granules incrusting their surface. The asci (spore-producing sacs) are small, clavate (club-shaped), about 40 by 10 μm at maturity, and contain eight colourless, simple , broadly ellipsoid to nearly spherical spores, measuring 5–7 by 3.5–4.5 μm. [1]

The lichen also has pycnidia, which are small, flask-shaped structures embedded in the thallus that produce asexual spores called conidia. These pycnidia have a slightly protruding, greenish-black pore and are filled with crystals that dissolve in potassium hydroxide. The conidia are bifusiform (spindle-shaped at both ends) and measure 4–5.5 by approximately 1 μm. [1]

Chemically, Boreoplaca ultrafrigida contains lecanoric acid, a secondary metabolite typical of many lichens. [1]

Distribution and habitat

Beyond its type locality in Yakutia, B. ultrafrigida has been found in several other regions of Russia, including Buryatia, Magadan Oblast, and Primorsky Krai. [2] The species has also been recorded in Jilin province, China, which represents its southernmost known location. [2] In 2018, it was rerported from Prov. Gangwon-do in South Korea, growing on rocks at elevation from 1000 to 1600 metres. [6]

Boreoplaca ultrafrigida shows a preference for various habitats, including open Larix forests, open rock outcrops among taiga forests, and can be found at elevations ranging from 600 to 2000 metres. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Psora</i> Genus of lichens

Psora is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Psoraceae. Members of the genus are commonly called fishscale lichens. Lichens in the genus Psora generally have a squamulose thallus and anthraquinones in the hymenium. Photobiont partners of Psora lichens include members of the green algal genera Asterochloris, Chloroidium, Myrmecia, and Trebouxia.

Acarospora flavisparsa is a species of lichen in the family Acarosporaceae. Found in Portugal and Spain, it was described as new to science in 2011. The lichen grows on acidic rock walls in inland areas.

<i>Lecanora muralis</i> Species of lichen

Lecanora muralis(Protoparmeliopsis muralis) is a waxy looking, pale yellowish green crustose lichen that usually grows in rosettes radiating from a center (placodioid) filled with disc-like yellowish-tan fruiting bodies (apothecia). It grows all over the world. It is extremely variable in its characteristics as a single taxon, and may represent a complex of species. The fruiting body parts have rims of tissue similar to that of the main nonfruiting body (thallus), which is called being lecanorine. It is paler and greener than L. mellea, and more yellow than L. sierrae. In California, it may be the most common member of the Lecanora genus found growing on rocks (saxicolous).

Pertusaria albineoides is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Pertusariaceae. Found on the Galápagos Islands, it was formally described as a new species in 2015 by Frank Bungartz, A.W.Archer, Alba Yánez-Ayabaca, and John Elix. The type specimen was collected on Alcedo Volcano at an altitude of 1,089 m (3,573 ft), where it was found growing on a partially shaded, rain- and wind-exposed trunk of Scalesia microcephala. The species epithet refers to the similarity to the species Pertusaria albinea, from which it differs by having thin-walled ellipsoid-shaped ascospores that are longer and narrower.

Harpidium gavilaniae is a little-known species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Harpidiaceae. It is found in the Northern Cape Province in South Africa.

Eilifdahlia sergeyana is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is endemic to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. The lichen thallus has an uneven and scaly texture, forming patches up to 40 mm wide in dull greenish-grey or brownish-grey. Its fruiting bodies (apothecia) are orange to yellow, with a biatorine structure, and range from 0.5 to 1 mm wide. These apothecia have a matte surface and a cup-shaped margin containing golden-yellow crystals. The paraphyses within are slender and branched, and the asci contain ellipsoid spores.

Placolecis kunmingensis is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Catillariaceae. It is found in Yunnan, China. The lichen is characterised by a thallus that is areolate to squamulose in its centre, forming irregular patches or clumps 10–50 mm wide, as well as its ellipsoid or spherical ascospores with slightly thickened wall.

Tetramelas flindersianus is a saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen species in the family Physciaceae. First described scientifically in 2020, it is found in Australia.

Buellia subalbula is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Caliciaceae. It occurs in coastal southern Africa, South America, and Australia, where it grows on calcareous rocks.

<i>Baeomyces heteromorphus</i> Species of lichen

Baeomyces heteromorphus is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling) lichen in the family Baeomycetaceae. It has an Australasian distribution. Characteristics of the lichen include its greenish-grey thallus, the pink to brownish discs of its apothecia, translucent spores lacking internal partitions (septa), and the presence of the secondary metabolites norstictic acid and connorstictic acid.

Rhizoplaca ouimetensis is a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen species in the family Lecanoraceae. Uniquely identified by its sorediate form—a feature not observed in other Rhizoplaca species—it was discovered in Ontario, Canada, specifically within the Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park.

<i>Porpidinia</i> Genus of lichens

Porpidinia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Lecideaceae. It has two species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) lichens. The type species of the genus, Porpidinia tumidula, thrives in a variety of settings from coastal to mountainous areas, primarily on lime-rich rocks, and is widely spread across southern to northern Europe, northern Africa, parts of Asia, and New Zealand. Meanwhile, Porpidinia brevispora is more regionally confined, found specifically in the Sikhote-Alin range in the Russian Far East, favouring carbonate rocks at lower altitudes.

<i>Xylopsora canopeorum</i> Species of lichen

Xylopsora canopeorum is a squamulose (scaly), corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen species in the family Umbilicariaceae. Discovered in the canopies of Sequoia sempervirens in California, United States, it was formally described as new to science in 2018. It is endemic to the central coastal region of California, living within the unique ecosystems of Big Basin Redwoods State Park and Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, areas known for their ancient coast redwood forests. The lichen evolves from a crust-like to scale-like form, developing into coral-like crusts as it matures, complemented by distinctive flat, black reproductive discs. This species has varying greyish-green to medium brown coloration and occasionally forms soralia, which release powdery reproductive propagules called soredia. Xylopsora canopeorum is distinguished from closely related species by its smaller, partly coral-like squamules (scales), the occurrence of soralia on its surface, and in some specimens, the presence of both thamnolic and friesiic acids within the thallus.

Knightiellastrum is a single-species fungal genus in the family Icmadophilaceae. This monotypic genus the contains the corticolous (bark-dwelling), squamulose lichen species Knightiellastrum eucalypti, found in Tasmania, Australia.

Lecidea toensbergii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Lecideaceae. Described as a new species in 2018, it has been documented from several locations in Norway and a single location in Sweden, where it grows in rocky alpine environments.

Acarospora toensbergii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Acarosporaceae. Known only from the Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska, it was described as a new species in 2017 by the lichenologists Kerry Knudsen and Jana Kocourková. The species epithet honors the Norwegian lichenologist Tor Tønsberg, who collected the type specimen from a deglaciated alluvial terrace in 2015.

Austroparmeliella is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Pannariaceae. It consists of five species, all of which are found in the Southern Hemisphere.

<i>Romjularia</i> Single-species lichen genus

Romjularia is a fungal genus in the family Lecideaceae, containing the single species Romjularia lurida, a saxicolous and terricolous squamulose lichen.

Meridianelia is a fungal genus in the family Elixiaceae. It consists of the single species Meridianelia maccarthyana, a corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen. This lichen forms greyish-white, crust-like growths on tree bark in subalpine woodlands of Tasmania, Australia. Discovered in 2003 and scientifically described in 2009, Meridianelia is classified in the small fungal family Elixiaceae based on its genetic and structural characteristics. The genus is notable for its unique reproductive structures and its apparent rarity, having been found in only a few locations despite growing in a relatively common type of forest.

Nebularia is a small genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Pannariaceae. It comprises two species, both of which are found in the Andes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Timdal, E. (1994). "Boreoplaca ultrafrigida, a new lichen genus and species from continental Siberia". Mycotaxon. 51: 503–508.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Davydov, Evgeny A.; Wei, Jiang-Chun (2009). "Boreoplaca ultrafrigida (Umbilicariales), the correct name for Rhizoplacopsis weichingii". Mycotaxon. 108: 301–305. doi: 10.5248/108.301 .
  3. ↑ Zhou, Qiming; Wei, Jiangchun (2006). "A new genus and species Rhizoplacopsis weichingii in a new family Rhizoplacopsidaceae". Mycosystema. 25 (3): 376–385.
  4. ↑ "Boreoplaca". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  5. ↑ Wijayawardene, N.N.; Hyde, K.D.; Dai, D.Q.; Sánchez-García, M.; Goto, B.T.; Saxena, R.K.; et al. (2022). "Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa – 2021". Mycosphere. 13 (1): 53–453 [164]. doi:10.5943/mycosphere/13/1/2. hdl: 1854/LU-8754813 .
  6. ↑ Yakovchenko, Lidia; Davydov, Evgeny A.; Paukov, Alexander; Frisch, Andreas; Galanina, Irina; Han, Jeong Eun; Moon, Kwang Hee; Kashiwadani, Hiroyuki (2018). "New lichen records from Korea – I. Mostly arctic-alpine and tropical species". Herzogia. 31 (2): 965–981. doi:10.13158/heia.31.2.2018.965.
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