Buellia aethalea

Last updated

Buellia aethalea
Buellia aethalea 538778.jpg
Status TNC G3.svg
Vulnerable  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Caliciales
Family: Caliciaceae
Genus: Buellia
Species:
B. aethalea
Binomial name
Buellia aethalea
Synonyms [2]
  • Buellia aethalea f. aethaleoides (Nyl.) Grummann
  • Buellia aethalea f. baltica (Erichsen) Grummann
  • Buellia aethalea f. sororioides (Erichsen) Grummann
  • Buellia aethalea subsp. aethaleoides (Nyl.) Grummann, 1958
  • Buellia aethalea subsp. baltica (Erichsen) Grummann, 1957
  • Buellia aethalea subsp. sororioides (Erichsen) Grummann, 1957
  • Buellia aethaleoides (Nyl.) H.Olivier
  • Buellia atroalba var. aethaleoides (Nyl.) Boistel
  • Buellia atroalbella var. aethalea (Ach.) Mong.
  • Buellia atropallidula (Nyl.) J.Lahm, 1883
  • Buellia baltica Erichsen
  • Buellia hillmannii Erichsen
  • Buellia impressula (Leight.) A.L.Sm.
  • Buellia ocellata var. tenella Müll.Arg., 1875
  • Buellia soraria Th.Fr.
  • Buellia sororia Th.Fr.
  • Buellia sororia subsp. sororioides (Erichsen) Riehm., 1935
  • Buellia sororia var. sororioides (Erichsen) Riehm.
  • Buellia sororioides Erichsen
  • Buellia sororioides f. dendritica Erichsen, 1930
  • Buellia subatra Erichsen
  • Buellia subatrata Erichsen
  • Caloplaca umbrinofusca (Nyl.) H.Olivier
  • Gyalecta aethalea Ach.
  • Lecanora atropallidula Nyl.
  • Lecanora immersata Nyl., 1878
  • Lecanora umbrinofusca Nyl.
  • Lecidea aethalea (Ach.) Nyl.
  • Lecidea aethalea (Ach.) Stiz.
  • Lecidea aethaleoides Nyl.
  • Lecidea atroalbella var. aethalea (Ach.) Nyl.
  • Lecidea impressula Leight.
  • Lecidea sororia (Th.Fr.) Stizenb.
  • Lecidea verruculosa Borrer
  • Lichen opegraphus subsp. aethalea (Ach.) Lam.
  • Lichen verruculosus Borrer
  • Melanaspicilia aethalea (Ach.) Vain.
  • Rinodina atropallidula (Nyl.) Arnold
  • Rinodina immersata (Körb.) Zahlbr.
  • Rinodina ocellulata Bagl. & Carestia
  • Rinodina umbrinofusca (Nyl.) H.Olivier

Buellia aethalea is a species of lichen that belongs to the family Caliciaceae. [2] It is commonly known as darkened button lichen, [3] [4] and Buellie noircie in French. [1] The lichen's familiar nickname is inspired by the appearance of its surface, adorned with small black spots reminiscent of buttons. [5]

Contents

Description

The thallus of this crustose lichen has a distinctive areolate structure, with the individual areoles varying considerably in their appearance. They typically range from 0.2–0.6(−1.2) mm in diameter, displaying an angular, irregular shape. The areoles can exhibit a pale to dark grey coloration, [6] [7] sometimes taking on a brownish tint that gives the thallus a discolored look. [8] Separating the areoles is a narrow, black prothallus that helps delineate the edges of the thallus. [8]

Examining the thallus microscopically reveals a white medulla [7] that lacks any deposits of calcium oxalate. [9]

Reproductive structures on this lichen are represented by its lecideine apothecia, which remain immersed within the thallus rather than developing a raised, sessile appearance. These apothecia are relatively small, measuring (0.1–)0.2–0.2(−0.5) mm in diameter. The apothecial margin is black, but indistinct and reduced, while the disc itself is flat and black, [6] lacking any sort of pruina or surface bloom. [9]

The excipular anatomy of the apothecia is rather narrow and poorly differentiated. The inner hyphae are hyaline and prosoplectenchymatous, often resembling the orientation and appearance of the paraphyses. In contrast, the outer excipular hyphae are parallel, moderately swollen, and heavily pigmented in various shades of brown and greenish blue. This pigmentation of the outer exciple also extends into the brown epihymenium. [9] [7]

The hymenium itself is hyaline and lacks any conspicuous oil droplets. The paraphyses exhibit a simple to moderately branched morphology, with their apical portions swollen and capped in a brown pigment. [9]

Turning to the asci, they are clavate in shape and contain 8 ascospores each. [6] Those ascospores start out as a blue-green color but eventually mature into a dark brown hue. They are 1-septate, broadly ellipsoid in shape, and become constricted with age, measuring (11–)11.6–[12.8]–14.1(−17) x (5–)7.2–[8.1]–8.9(−10) μm. [9]

Pycnidia are quite rare on this lichen. When present, they take on a urceolate to globose, unilocular structure, with conidiogenous cells that are primarily terminal (apical), though occasionally also intercalary (among or between sub-apical cells). The conidia produced within these pycnidia are bacilliform, measuring 5–5.5 x 1 μm. [9]

Chemistry

Spot tests reveal that the thallus and medulla are K+ yellow to red (indicating the presence of crystals), P+ yellow, and C-, KC-, CK-. [9] [7] The thallus does not fluoresce under UV light, and the medulla is non-amyloid. [9] The secondary metabolites present in B. aethalea are norstictic and connorstictic acids. [9]

This lichen species is epilithic, growing on a variety of siliceous (HCl-) rock substrates. [9] [1]

Distribution and ecology

Buellia aethalea is widely distributed across temperate regions, with the species being commonly encountered in northern Europe. However, reports of its occurrence in North America are considerably scarcer. [9]

Within the Sonoran Desert region of North America, the lichen has been documented growing at higher elevations in the state of Arizona. Specific locations where B. aethalea has been observed include the San Francisco Peaks and the White Mountains. [9]

Ecologically, Buellia aethalea functions as an epilithic lichen, colonizing a variety of siliceous, or acid-based, rock substrates. [9] [1]

Conservation status

Worldwide

According to NatureServe conservation status, Buellia aethalea has a global conservation status of G3 (rounded), indicating it is vulnerable. [1]

National

In Canada, it is ranked as N3N5, with subnational ranks of S3S5 in British Columbia and SNR (unranked) in other provinces. [1] In the United States, it is unranked nationally and, in several states. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Buellia</i> Genus of lichens

Buellia is a genus of mostly lichen-forming fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The fungi are usually part of a crustose lichen. In this case, the lichen species is given the same name as the fungus. But members may also grow as parasites on lichens (lichenicolous). The algae in the lichen is always a member of the genus Trebouxia.

Niebla sorocarpia is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the foggy Pacific Coast of California in the Channel Islands and in Baja California in the Northern Vizcaíno Desert. The epithet, sorocarpia, is in reference to the terminal aggregate apothecia.

Niebla tesselata is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the foggy Pacific Coast of in the Northern Vizcaíno Desert of Baja California. The epithet, tesselata, is in reference to the cobblestone pattern on the surface of the thallus branches.

Buellia peregrina is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Caliciaceae. It is found in the Namib desert in Namibia.

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

Tetramelas gariwerdensis is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Physciaceae, described in 2020. It is found in the Grampian Mountains in western Victoria, Australia.

Buellia cravenii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Caliciaceae. It is found in Australia. The lichen spreads up to 3.5 cm wide thick, forming a continuous, grey-white cracked pattern of areoles.

Buellia eldridgei is a rare species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Caliciaceae, known to occur only in Queensland, Australia.

Buellia lordhowensis is a little-known saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen species in the family Caliciaceae, first described in 2020. It is only known to occur on Lord Howe Island, Australia.

Buellia phillipensis is a little-known species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Caliciaceae, described in 2020. It is only known to occur on Phillip Island in the Southwest Pacific.

Amandinea pilbarensis is a little-known species of crustose lichen in the family Physciaceae, First described in 2020, it is found in Australia. It is similar to Amandinea polyxanthonica, but can be distinguished by its smaller ascospores and the presence of calcium oxalate and thiophanic acid in the medulla.

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>Buellia oidalea</i> Species of crustose lichen

Buellia oidalea is a species of crustose lichen found along the Pacific coast of North America, from Coos County, Oregon to Baja California Sur.

Buellia nashii is a species of lichen characterized by its crustose thallus, typically found in the Sonoran Desert Region and adjacent areas. It was first described by Bungartz et al. The species is named in honor of Dr. Thomas H. Nash III, a notable lichenologist and the Ph.D. supervisor of the author.

Buellia stellulata, commonly known as the disc lichen) is a species of crustose lichen that is widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

<i>Dirinaria aegialita</i> Species of lichen

Dirinaria aegialita is a species of foliose lichen in the family Caliciaceae. It is found in tropical regions around the world, with scattered occurrences in subtropical North America.

Dirinaria neotropica is a species of lichen belonging to the genus Dirinaria within the family Caliciaceae. It was described by Kalb in 2004.

<i>Dirinaria confluens</i> Species of fungus

Dirinaria confluens is a species of foliose lichen belonging to the genus Dirinaria within the family Caliciaceae. It was originally described by D.D.Awasthi in 1975.

<i>Dirinaria confusa</i> Species of fungus

Dirinaria confusa is a species of fungus within the family Caliciaceae, belonging to the order Caliciales in the class Lecanoromycetes of the division Ascomycota.

<i>Buellia griseovirens</i> Species of fungus

Buellia griseovirens is a species of lichen belonging to the family Caliciaceae. It exhibits a crustose growth type and is commonly found on well-lit, smooth bark, and worked timber surfaces. The species can tolerate moderate pollution.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Buellia aethalea Darkened Button Lichen". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Buellia aethalea (Ach.) Th.Fr". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  3. ↑ "World Species : Buellia aethalea (Darkened button lichen)". worldspecies.org. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  4. ↑ "Buellia aethalea | NWT Species Search". www.gov.nt.ca. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Bungartz, Frank (2004). "The Buellia aethalea-Group in the Greater Sonoran Desert Region with Reference to Similar Species in North America" (PDF). The Bryologist . 107 (4): 443–444. doi:10.1639/0007-2745(2004)107[441:TBAITG]2.0.CO;2 . Retrieved 12 April 2024– via Internet Archive. thallus surface matt, usually crusty and gray to pale brown ... Apothecia lecidei-ne; (0.1–)0.2–0.3(–0.5) mm in diameter; remaining immersed, not becoming sessile, predominantly in center of areoles; proper margin indistinct, reduced, inconspicious, black; disc black. These characteristic black spots, resembling tiny buttons, lend the lichen its colloquial name "darkened button lichen.
  6. 1 2 3 "Irish lichens – Buellia aethalea". www.irishlichens.ie. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Nimis, P.L. (2016). "Buellia aethalea (Ach.) Th. Fr". ITALIC – The Information System on Italian Lichens. Version 7.0. University of Trieste, Dept. of Biology. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Buellia aethalea". fungi.myspecies.info. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Consortium of Lichen Herbaria – Buellia aethalea". lichenportal.org. Retrieved 17 March 2024.

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