Cladonia digitata

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Cladonia digitata
Cladonia digitata1.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Cladoniaceae
Genus: Cladonia
Species:
C. digitata
Binomial name
Cladonia digitata

Cladonia digitata, commonly known as the finger cup lichen, [1] is a cup lichen species in the family Cladoniaceae.

Contents

Description

Cladonia digitata is a fruticose lichen found mainly in northern Eurasia and North America. It grows mainly on rotten wood, but also grows in rich soils or living plants.

The primary thallus is composed of large or medium-sized squamules, 2–15 mm. long, involute or somewhat flat and sometimes sorediate at the margin or below. The podetia arise from the surface of the primary thallus, around 10-15mm. long. The lower part is .5–4 mm. in diameter and cylindrical or often incrassate below the cups. Its proliferation is either simple or repeated; The upper part and especially the cups are sorediate and the cavity corticate. The lower part or sometimes the entire podetium is covered with a continuous cortex, without squamules. The cups are medium-sized, 10–15 mm. in diameter and 2–5 mm. high. The margin is commonly somewhat incurved, sub-entire, dentate radiate or proliferate. The ascoma are apothecial, apothecioid or hymenial. The apothecium, reddish in color, is usually medium-sized, or rarely small, .5-5mm. in diameter. They are located at the apices of the branches or rarely on the margin of the cups, are either simple or clustered and either convex or immarginate. The paraphyses are simple or rarely branched, and are somewhat enlarged toward the apex. The asci are cylindrico-clavate The asci are lecanoralean, with a thickened tholus. There are normally 8 ascospores. [2] [3]

Biochemistry

Among the secondary metabolites are bellidiflorin, thamnolic acid (which has shown use as an antimicrobial agent), decarboxythamnolic acid and the red pigment rhodocladonic acid. [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cladoniaceae</span> Family of fungi

The Cladoniaceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. It is one of the largest families of lichen-forming fungi, with about 560 species distributed amongst 17 genera. The reindeer moss and cup lichens (Cladonia) belong to this family. The latter genus, which comprises about 500 species, forms a major part of the diet of large mammals in taiga and tundra ecosystems. Many Cladoniaceae lichens grow on soil, but other can use decaying wood, tree trunks, and, in a few instances, rocks as their substrate. They grow in places with high humidity, and cannot tolerate aridity.

<i>Xanthoparmelia mougeotii</i> Species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae

Xanthoparmelia mougeotii is a species of foliose lichen belonging to the family Parmeliaceae.

<i>Acarospora thamnina</i> Species of fungus

Acarospora thamnina is a shiny, black tinged, variously brown squamulose crustose lichen. It has a linear growth pattern, growing along cracks in boulders. It can be found in North America to Alaska and Maine, from the coast to inland locations, also in the Ural Mountains and Novaya Zemlya in Russia. It commonly grows either among, or on other lichens. It grows a longer stipe so its squamules can grow over other lichens when there is competition for space. When it forms thick clumps it is easily identified with its elevated squamules and thick stipes. It grows on acidic rock in full sunlight.

<i>Acarospora schleicheri</i> Species of fungus

Acarospora schleicheri, the soil paint lichen, is a bleached to bright yellow areolate to squamulose lichen that commonly grows to 10 cm (4 in) on soil (terricolous) in arid habitats of southern California and Baja California, also in Europe and Africa. It produces rhizocarpic acid as a secondary metabolite, which gives it a yellow coloration and serves to protect it from the sun. Its lower surface is also yellow. It can be greenish when moist. Roundish, angular, or irregularly shaped squamules are 0.5–4 mm in diameter. There are 0–1 apothecia embedded in the thallus, with 0.4–1.2 mm roundish black to reddish-brown, or dark brown discs, which sometimes fill the areola so as to be lecanorine. It divides vegetatively on the soil. Asci are club shaped (clavate) and have 100 or more spherical to ellipsoid spores. Lichen spot tests are negative, and it is UV+ orange under ultraviolet light.

<i>Bulbothrix cinerea</i> Species of fungus

Bulbothrix cinerea is a species of lichenized fungi within the family Parmeliaceae. Among other Bulbothrix species, only B. isidiza has isidia combined with an underside that is light coloured. B. isidiza's laciniae are wider, while its thallus is pale, and contains salazinic acid. In turn, B. ventricosa is larger and a black underside and rhizinae. The African species B. decurtata is an obligately saxicolous lichen, and while similar, it has a dark underside and produces salazinic acid in its medulla. The species' name thus refers to its uncommon dark gray colouration of its thallus.

<i>Cladonia parasitica</i> Species of lichenised fungus in the family Cladoniaceae

Cladonia parasitica, commonly known as the fence-rail cladonia, fence-rail cup lichen or parasite club lichen, is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was first described by Hoffmann in 1784 under the name Lichen parasiticus, until he reclassified it under the genus Cladonia in 1795.

<i>Cladonia borealis</i> . species of lichenised fungus in the family Cladoniaceae

Cladonia borealis, commonly known as the boreal cup lichen, is a species of lichen in the genus Cladonia.


<i>Cladonia amaurocraea</i> Species of lichenised fungus in the family Cladoniaceae

Cladonia amaurocraea, commonly known as the quill lichen or the quill cup lichen, is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the Cladoniaceae family.

<i>Hertelidea</i> Genus of lichens in the family Stereocaulaceae

Hertelidea is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Stereocaulaceae. Characteristics of the genus include carbon-black ring or outer margin (exciple) around the fruit body disc (apothecium), eight-spored, Micarea-type asci and mostly simple, hyaline ascospores that lack a transparent outer layer. Hertelidea species mostly grow on wood, although less frequently they are found on bark or soil. While the type species, Hertelidea botryosa, has a widespread distribution, most of the other species are found only in Australia.

<i>Cladonia coccifera</i> Species of lichen

Cladonia coccifera or madame's cup lichen is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was first described by Swedish lichenologist Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 work Species Plantarum. German botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow transferred it to the genus Cladonia in 1787. The lichen has apothecia and bright red pycnidia atop of yellowish to grey-green podetia that are 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) high. The base of the thallus comprises rounded squamules (scales) with a yellow to orange-brown undersurface. It typically occurs on acidic peaty and sandy soils.

Punctelia jujensis is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is found in Argentina and Brazil.

<i>Cladonia squamosa</i> Species of lichen

Cladonia squamosa or the dragon cup lichen is a species of cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae.

<i>Punctelia perreticulata</i> Species of lichen

Punctelia perreticulata is a widely distributed species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It occurs in Mediterranean Europe and Russia, North America, South America, Australia, and New Zealand, where it grows on rocks, bark, or wood. Its main distinguishing features are its thallus surface, marked with many shallow depressions, grooves, or pits, and sorediate pseudocyphellae. The lower side of the thallus is ivory to tan towards the centre and the major secondary metabolite in the medulla is lecanoric acid. A lookalike species with which it has been historically confused is Punctelia subrudecta; this lichen can be distinguished from Punctelia perreticulata by the texture of the thallus surface, or, more reliably, by the length of its conidia.

<i>Loxospora ochrophaea</i> Species of lichen

Loxospora ochrophaea is a species of crustose lichen in the family Sarrameanaceae.

<i>Hypogymnia krogiae</i> Species of lichen

Hypogymnia krogiae, commonly known as the freckled tube lichen, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. Found in North America, it was described as a new species in 1973 by Karl Ohlsson. The type specimen was collected near Cheat Bridge, West Virginia by Mason Hale in 1956.

Cladonia lichexanthonica is a rare species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. Found in Bahia, Brazil, it was formally described as a new species in 2018 by lichenologists André Aptroot and Marcela Eugenia da Silva Cáceres. The type specimen was collected by the authors from the Morro do Pai Inácio at an altitude between 1,050 and 1,140 m ; here the lichen was found growing on siliceous sandstone rock in a transitional forest. Cladonia lichexanthonica is only known to occur at the type locality, and is only known from the type specimen. The lichen has a squamulose (scaley) thallus measuring up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter; this consists of a 5-millimetre (0.2 in) thick crust comprising individual crowded squamules, pale-olive green to olive brown, measuring 1–5 mm in size. The specific epithet lichexanthonica refers to the presence of lichexanthone, a secondary compound that was not previously known to occur in genus Cladonia.

<i>Cladonia rei</i> Species of lichen

Cladonia rei, commonly known as the wand lichen, is a species of ground-dwelling, fruticose lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It is a widely distributed species, having been reported from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and North America. It is identified by its slightly dirty-colored, rough-surfaced, slender podetia that grow up to 9 cm (3.5 in) tall. Diagnostic characters of the lichen include the continuously sorediate, green-and-brown-mottled, podetia that taper upward to a point, while chemically, it contains homosekikaic and sekikaic acids. Its reduced capacity to bioaccumulate toxic heavy metals from its surroundings, as well as its ability to switch photobiont partners, allows the lichen to colonize and survive highly polluted habitats. There are several other Cladonia species that are somewhat similar in appearance, but can be distinguished either by subtle differences in morphology, or by the secondary chemicals they contain.

<i>Candelaria concolor</i> Species of lichen

Candelaria concolor, commonly known as the candleflame lichen or the lemon lichen, is an ascomycete of the genus Candelaria. It is a small foliose lichen dispersed globally.

Micarea pauli is a species of corticolous and lignicolous, crustose lichen in the family Pilocarpaceae. It is only known to occur in Poland's Białowieża Forest.

<i>Psora taurensis</i> Species of lichen

Psora taurensis is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), squamulose lichen in the family Lecanoraceae. It is found in the Taurus Mountains of Turkey.

References

  1. "Standardized Common Names for Wild Species in Canada". National General Status Working Group. 2020.
  2. "LIAS light - Item Descriptions".
  3. Fink, Bruce, (1908). Further Notes on Cladonias. XIV. Cladonia digitata, Cladonia deformis and Cladonia bellidiflora. The Bryologist , Mar., 1908, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Mar., 1908), pp. 21-24. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3238248
  4. Cankılıç, Sarıözlü, Canda & Tay. (2017) Screening of antibacterial, antituberculosis and antifungal effects of lichen Usnea florida and its thamnolic acid constituent Biomedical Research (2017) Volume 28, Issue 7
  5. Culberson, Chicita F., (1970), Supplement to "Chemical and Botanical Guide to Lichen Products" The Bryologist Vol. 73, No. 2 (Summer, 1970), pp. 177-377