Cryptothecia rubrocincta

Last updated

Cryptothecia rubrocincta
Cryptothecia.jpg
Growing on guayaibi (Patagonula amaricana) tree in Chaco Province, northern Argentina
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Arthoniomycetes
Order: Arthoniales
Family: Arthoniaceae
Genus: Cryptothecia
Species:
C. rubrocincta
Binomial name
Cryptothecia rubrocincta
(Ehrenb.) G.Thor (1991)
Synonyms

Byssus sanguinea Sw. [1]
Chiodecton rubrocinctum(Ehrenb.) Nyl. [2]
Chiodecton sanguineum(Sw.) Vain. [3]
Corticium rubrocinctum(Ehrenb.) Bres. [4]
Herpothallon sanguineum(Sw.) Tobler
Hypochnus rubrocinctusEhrenb. [5]
Hypochnus sanguineus(Sw.) Kuntze [6]
Thelephora sanguineaSw. [7]

Contents

Cryptothecia rubrocincta is a species of lichen in the fungal family Arthoniaceae. The species is distributed in subtropical and tropical locations throughout the southeastern United States, as well as Central and South America, and has been collected infrequently in a few locales in Africa. The body of the lichen forms continuous, circular crust-like patches on dead wood, readily recognizable by the prominent red pigment. The older, central region is covered with red, spherical to cylindrical granules. Moving outwards from the center, zones of color may be distinguished, the first gray-green, the second white, and finally a bright red cottony rim. The red and green colors of this unmistakable woodland lichen give the appearance of a Christmas wreath, suggestive of its common North American name, the Christmas (wreath) lichen. The red pigment, called chiodectonic acid, is one of several chemicals the lichen produces to help tolerate inhospitable growing conditions.

Taxonomy and naming

German naturalist Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg first described the lichen in 1820. Ehrenberg Christian Gottfried 1795-1876.png
German naturalist Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg first described the lichen in 1820.

The classification of the genus Cryptothecia has been unclear, and historically, C. rubrocincta has been placed in several different genera. Like all lichens, C. rubrocincta is an association of a fungus (the mycobiont) with a photosynthetic organism (the photobiont), in this case, an algae. Initially, it was unknown whether the mycobiont component of C. rubrocincta was an ascomycete or a basidiomycete. Although the vast majority of lichen mycobionts are from the Ascomycota, in 1937 German lichenologist Friedrich Tobler believed the mycobiont to be a basidiomycete, because he interpreted some unusual microscopic structures to be clamp connections, [8] structures associated only with the basidiomycete fungi. In another publication later that year, he specified the mycobiont to be a hymenomycete, and described the monotypic genus Herpothallion to supersede the old name Chiodecton sanguineum. [9] Although Vernon Ahmadjian corroborated the presence of clamp connections in the species when he studied the species' cytology in 1967, [10] other researchers did not find clamp connections in specimens collected from different countries. [11] [12] Further doubt was cast on the possibility of a basidiomycete mycobiont with the discovery of the depside confluentic acid in 1966, [13] concentric bodies in 1975, [12] and woronin bodies in 1983, [14] as all of these characteristics are restricted to Ascomycetes.

The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature states that names of fungi adopted by Fries in Systema Mycologicum vols. 1–3 are sanctioned, that is, they are conserved against earlier homonyms and competing synonyms. This means that the name Hypochnus rubrocinctum has priority over Byssus sanguinea. The type material of H. rubrocinctum was examined by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in Berlin; it has since been destroyed, probably during the Second World War. The drawing in Erhenberg's 1820 publication serves as the lectotype. The species was transferred to the genus Cryptothecia by Swedish lichenologist Göran Thor in 1991, on the basis of its similarity with C. striata such as the thallus with radiate ridges, granular isidia, and presence of para-depsides (gyrophoric acid in C. striata and confluentic acid in C. rubrocincta). [15]

The red and green of C. rubrocincta give it a Christmas wreath look, hence its common North American name, the Christmas wreath lichen. [16] The specific epithet is derived from the Latin words ruber "red" and cinctus "girdled/encircled" or "banded". The other epithet sanguineum is the neuter form of the Latin adjective sanguineus "bloody". [17]

Description

Cryptothecia rubrocincta.jpg
Herbarium specimens of C. rubrocincta growing on Taxodium distichum
Cryptothecia rubrocincta-3.jpg
...and oak (below). The scale marks are millimeters.

Cryptothecia rubrocincta is a crustose lichen, because it grows in the form of a surface crust. The thallus, or body of the lichen is spread out flat and can be either tightly to loosely attached to the growing surface. It is 0.15–0.30 mm thick, and can be smooth, or have low radiating ridges. The older, central region of the lichen surface has many reproductive structures called isidia; they resemble granules that are 0.1–0.4 by 0.1 mm. The species relies entirely on vegetative means to reproduce, and is not known to have any sexual structures. [15] From the center outwards, three color zones can be differentiated in mature specimens; the first grayish-green, the second white, and finally a bright red cottony rim. [18]

The lichen has a distinct prothallus—fibers of whitish fungal hyphae at the edge that lack photobiont, and which project beyond the thallus onto the growing surface. The prothallus is red to whitish in the inner part, red the in outer part. The surface of the thallus does not have a well-defined cortex, an outer layer of well-packed hyphae. The medulla (a loosely arranged layer of hyphae below the cortex and photobiont zone) is whitish but the lower part is red. It has few to many calcium oxalate crystals that are 3–8 μm diameter. The hyphae of the medulla have many such crystals on the walls, that are 1–2 μm in diameter. [18] The algal photobiont (technically a phycobiont, as it is a green algal photosynthetic partner) is from the genus Trentepohlia . Normally, the algae is long and filamentous; when in the lichen state, it is divided into shorter filaments. The alga has a large chloroplast that contains droplets of beta-carotene. [14] The lichen is heteromerous, meaning that the mycobiont and photobiont components are in well-defined layers, with the photobiont in a more or less distinct zone between the upper cortex and the medulla. Cells are single or a few cells aggregated, with dimensions of about 8–15 by 5–11 μm. [18]

The yeast Fellomyces mexicanus, an anamorphic member of the family Cuniculitremaceae, was discovered growing epiphytically on the lichen in 2005. [19]

Distribution and habitat

Growing on Sabal palmetto at Myakka River State Park, Florida Cryptothecia rubrocincta.MycoMyco UnDay.jpg
Growing on Sabal palmetto at Myakka River State Park, Florida

The lichen is widely distributed in the southeastern United States; in 1954 the north border of its distribution was given as a line passing through southern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. [20] Although the northern limit was extended to southern Delaware, [21] the author later revised his opinion, and the northern limit is thought to be North Carolina. [22] In North Carolina, it is found on Smith Island, a notable location because it represents the northern limit of the distribution of cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto). The presence of this 6 meter (20 ft) tree interspersed among the dominant tree species Quercus virginiana give the island a subtropical appearance—consistent with the lichen's preferred climate. [23]

Cryptothecia rubrocincta is also widespread in tropical and subtropical areas of the West Indies and Central and South America. [24] [25] In South America it is found north of Chile and Argentina. [20] [26] It is rarer in Africa, having only been collected from three geographically widely separated mountain regions: São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, and DR Congo. The lichen may be found at altitudes ranging from sea level to 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) (in Colombia). [15]

The lichen typically grows on rough bark in sheltered and shaded habitats in moist and dense subtropical forests. More rarely, it is found on rocks or on leaves. In the USA it occurs in hammocks (hardwood forests) and swamps which have standing water, at least part of the year. It is also common in oak or oak-pine scrub vegetation. The species is often associated with Cryptothecia striata in the USA. [15]

Chemistry and color

In Lake County, Florida Cryptothecia rubrocincta (thallus).jpg
In Lake County, Florida

Cryptothecia rubrocincta is easily recognized by the bright red pigment in the thallus. The pigment, first isolated from the species by Hesse in 1904, [27] is called chiodectonic acid. The lichen also contains the colorless depside compound confluentinic acid. [13] A 2005 study employed the technique Raman spectroscopy to determine the chemical composition of the differently colored zones. The white crystalline zone contains calcium oxalate dihydrate, or weddellite, a chemical substance found in other lichens and extremophiles growing on calcium-rich surfaces. Some have suggested that the calcium oxalate serves in the organism's survival strategy: the storage of water as a crystalline hydrate is essential for periods of drought in desiccated environments, and calcium oxalate has been identified as dissuading herbivores. [28] Because the lichen grows on calcium-poor surfaces, calcium ions are thought to be acquired from rain, bird droppings, and airborne particles. [18]

The chemicals in the red-colored zone include an aromatic quinone, beta-carotene, and chlorophyll. The quinone is deep-red colored pigment chiodectonic acid, thought to function as a radiation protectant; in combination with beta-carotene, which has an established role in cellular DNA repair following exposure of the organism to UV-damage, such radiation protectants are often found in lichens and in extremophilic situations and are essential for survival. [18]

The lighter-colored pink zone, located on the inside of the red zone, contains a mixture of chiodectonic acid, beta-carotene and calcium oxalate dihydrate, the red and white mixture of the chiodectonic acid and the calcium oxalate giving rise to the characteristically lighter color. [18]

The elliptical brown-colored flecks, which can be observed in both the red and pink zones of the thallus, are made of confluentic acid and calcium oxalate monohydrate. The monohydrate is thought to be a more chemically stable metabolic byproduct of calcium oxalate dihydrate; the function of confluentic acid in the brown flecks is unclear. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lichen</span> Symbiosis of fungi with algae or cyanobacteria

A lichen is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship. Lichens are important actors in nutrient cycling and act as producers which many higher trophic feeders feed on, such as reindeer, gastropods, nematodes, mites, and springtails. Lichens have properties different from those of their component organisms. They come in many colors, sizes, and forms and are sometimes plant-like, but are not plants. They may have tiny, leafless branches (fruticose); flat leaf-like structures (foliose); grow crust-like, adhering tightly to a surface (substrate) like a thick coat of paint (crustose); have a powder-like appearance (leprose); or other growth forms.

Vernon Ahmadjian was a distinguished professor at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. He specialized in the symbiosis of lichens, and wrote several books and numerous publications on the subject.

<i>Trebouxia</i> Genus of algae

Trebouxia is a unicellular green alga. It is a photosynthetic organism that can exist in almost all habitats found in polar, tropical, and temperate regions. It can either exist in a symbiotic relationship with fungi in the form of lichen or it can survive independently as a free-living organism alone or in colonies. Trebouxia is the most common photobiont in extant lichens. It is a primary producer of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. It uses carotenoids and chlorophyll a and b to harvest energy from the sun and provide nutrients to various animals and insects.

<i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i> Species of lichen

Lobaria pulmonaria is a large epiphytic lichen consisting of an ascomycete fungus and a green algal partner living together in a symbiotic relationship with a cyanobacterium—a symbiosis involving members of three kingdoms of organisms. Commonly known by various names like tree lungwort, lung lichen, lung moss, lungwort lichen, oak lungs or oak lungwort, it is sensitive to air pollution and is also harmed by habitat loss and changes in forestry practices. Its population has declined across Europe and L. pulmonaria is considered endangered in many lowland areas. The species has a history of use in herbal medicines, and recent research has corroborated some medicinal properties of lichen extracts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Depside</span> Class of chemical compounds

A depside is a type of polyphenolic compound composed of two or more monocyclic aromatic units linked by an ester group. Depsides are most often found in lichens, but have also been isolated from higher plants, including species of the Ericaceae, Lamiaceae, Papaveraceae and Myrtaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verrucariaceae</span> Family of mostly lichenised fungi

Verrucariaceae is a family of lichens and a few non-lichenised fungi in the order Verrucariales. The lichens have a wide variety of thallus forms, from crustose (crust-like) to foliose (bushy) and squamulose (scaly). Most of them grow on land, some in freshwater and a few in the sea. Many are free-living but there are some species that are parasites on other lichens, while one marine species always lives together with a leafy green alga.

<i>Cryptothecia</i> Genus of lichens

Cryptothecia is a genus of white to greenish crustose lichens that grow on bark, wood, or leaves, in tropical or subtropical areas worldwide. It has a conspicuous prothallus that develops around its periphery which can be bright red in some species, hence the common name wreath lichen. The main vegetative body (thallus) lacks a cortex (ecorticate and is often immersed in the substrate or byssoid. The medulla is white, well defined, and often peppered with calcium oxalate crystals. Ascomata are not well defined, being cushions of soft white mycelium immersed in the medullary tissue, hence the name from the Greek krypto = "to conceal" and theke = "a container or sheath". It contains Trentepohlia, a green alga, as its photobiont partner.

<i>Pilophorus acicularis</i> Species of fungus

Pilophorus acicularis, commonly known as the nail lichen or the devil's matchstick lichen, is a species of matchstick lichen in the family Cladoniaceae.

Sagenidiopsis isidiata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) byssoid lichen in the family Arthoniaceae. Found in tropical montane rainforests throughout Central America, South America, and the Antilles, it was described as new to science in 2011. The lichen is characterised by its cream-coloured to greyish thallus and numerous pseudoisidia, which are small, cylindrical outgrowths on its surface.

A spot test in lichenology is a spot analysis used to help identify lichens. It is performed by placing a drop of a chemical on different parts of the lichen and noting the colour change associated with application of the chemical. The tests are routinely encountered in dichotomous keys for lichen species, and they take advantage of the wide array of lichen products produced by lichens and their uniqueness among taxa. As such, spot tests reveal the presence or absence of chemicals in various parts of a lichen. They were first proposed by the botanist William Nylander in 1866.

<i>Herpothallon</i> Genus of lichens

Herpothallon is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Arthoniaceae. It has about 50 species.

<i>Solorina crocea</i> Species of lichen

Solorina crocea, commonly known as the orange chocolate chip lichen, is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling) and foliose (leafy) lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. The lichen, which was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, has an arctic–alpine and circumpolar distribution and occurs in Asia, Europe, North America, and New Zealand. It generally grows on the bare ground in sandy soils, often in moist soil near snow patches or seepage areas. Although several forms and varieties of the lichen have been proposed in its history, these are not considered to have any independent taxonomic significance.

Austrotrema is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. It is primarily found in the Australian-Southeast Asian region. The genus is characterized by small, pore-like apothecia with a double margin, faintly amyloid ascospores, and stictic acid chemistry. Austrotrema species grow on tree bark and have a continuous thallus with a cortex that is prosoplectenchymatous–featuring densely packed, filamentous fungal hyphae that run parallel to the surface of the lichen, creating a compact and firm texture. The genus is closely related to Thelotrema and Leucodecton, but can be distinguished from them based on molecular phylogenetic data, specific morphological traits, and its secondary chemistry. Currently, Austrotrema comprises three species.

Herpothallon tricolor is a rare species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Arthoniaceae. Found in South Brazil, it was described as a new species in 2017. It is distinguished from others species in genus Herpothallon by its unique colouration: a combination of a grey thallus with a bright red hypothallus and orange-tipped pseudoisidia.

Nyungwea pycnidiata is a rare species of lichen in the family Opegraphaceae. Found in the North Region of Brazil, it was described as a new species in 2017. It is unique for its adaptation to living on termite nests.

Thalloloma rubromarginatum is a little-known species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. This lichen stands out from its counterparts within its genus, most notably Thalloloma haemographum, due to its corticate thallus and the presence of norstictic acid. Thalloloma rubromarginatum is found in the Sierra palm forests of Puerto Rico.

<i>Coniocarpon</i> Genus of lichens

Coniocarpon is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Arthoniaceae. It has eight species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichens. This genus is distinct for its crystalline orange, red, and purple quinoid pigments in the ascomata that turn purple in potassium hydroxide solution, its colourless, transversely septate ascospores with large apical cells, and its rounded to lirellate ascomata.

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.

Herpothallon furfuraceum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Arthoniaceae. Found in Costa Rica, it was formally described as new to science in 2009 by the lichenologist Göran Thor. It is only known to occur in two locations in Costa Rica, at elevations ranging from 900 to 1,350 m. It contains confluentic acid and chiodectonic acid as major lichen products. The authors suggest that because this lichen resembles a more weakly pigmented version of the more common and widespread Herpothallon rubrocinctum, it may be commonly overlooked by collectors.

References

  1. ↑ Swartz OP (1788). Nova genera et species Plantarum seu prodromus descriptioneum vegetabilium maximam parte incognitorum qua sub itinere in Indiam Occidentalem annis 1783–1787 digessit Olof Swartz (in Latin). p. 148.
  2. ↑ Nylander W. (1862). "Tylophoron et Parathelium genera lichenum nova". Botanische Zeitung (in Latin). 20: 278–9.
  3. ↑ Vainio EA (1890). "Étude sur la classification naturelle et la morphologie des Lichens du Brésil. Pars prima". Acta Societatis Pro Fauna et Flora Fennica (in French). 7 (1): 143.
  4. ↑ Bresadola G. (1911). "Fungi Congoenses". Annales Mycologici. 9: 266–276.
  5. ↑ Ehrenberg CG (1820). "Fungos a Chamisso in itinere circa terrarum globum collectos". In Nees von Esenbeck CGD; et al. (eds.). Horae Physicae Berolinensis (in Latin). Bonn. pp. 77–104.
  6. ↑ Kuntze O. (1898). Revisio generum plantarum (in Latin). Vol. 3. Leipzig: A. Felix. p. 486.
  7. ↑ Swartz OP (1806). Flora Indiae Occidentalis (in Latin). Vol. 3. Erlangen, Germany: Jo. Jacobi Palmii. p. 1937.
  8. ↑ Tobler F. (1937). "Entwicklungsgeschichtliche". Berichte der Deutschen Botanischen Gesellschaft (in German). 55: 158–164.
  9. ↑ Tobler F. (1937). "Über den Bau der Hymenolichenen and eine neue zu ihnen gehörende Gattung". Flora (in German). 131: 437–438.
  10. ↑ Ahmadjian V. (1967). "(Untitled)". International Lichenological Newsletter. 1 (3): 10.
  11. ↑ Follman G, Hunek S (1968). "Über das Vorkommen von Confluentinsäure in Enterographa crassa (de Cand.) Fee and die Stellung von Herpothallon sanguineum (Swans.) Tobler". Willdenowia (in German). 5 (1): 3–5.
  12. 1 2 Ellis EA (1975). "Observations on the ultrastructure of the lichen Chiodecton sanguineum". Bryologist. 78 (4): 471–476. doi:10.2307/3242174. JSTOR   3242174.
  13. 1 2 Culberson CF (1966). "Confluentic acid, its microchemical identification, and its occurrence in Herpothallon sanguineum". The Bryologist. 69 (3): 312–317. doi:10.2307/3240826. JSTOR   3240826.
  14. 1 2 Withrow K, Ahmadjian V (1983). "The Ultrastructure of Lichens. VII. Chiodecton sanguineum". Mycologia. 75 (2): 337–339. doi:10.2307/3792822. JSTOR   3792822.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Thor G. (1991). "The placement of Chiodecton sanguineum (syn. Chiodecton rubrocinctum), and Cryptothecia striata sp. nov". The Bryologist. 94 (3): 278–283. doi:10.2307/3243965. JSTOR   3243965.
  16. ↑ Volk T. "Cryptothecia rubrocincta, the Christmas lichen— for December 2006". Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month. Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
  17. ↑ Simpson DP (1979). Cassell's Latin Dictionary (5th ed.). London: Cassell Ltd. ISBN   0-304-52257-0.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Edwards HG, de Oliveira LF, Seaward MR (2005). "FT-Raman spectroscopy of the Christmas wreath lichen, Cryptothecia rubrocincta (Ehrenb.:Fr.) Thor". The Lichenologist. 37 (2): 181–189. doi:10.1017/S0024282905014611. S2CID   86048164.
  19. ↑ Lopandic K, Molnar O, Prillinger H (2005). "Fellomyces mexicanus sp nov., a new member of the yeast genus Fellomyces isolated from lichen Cryptothecia rubrocincta collected in Mexico". Microbiological Research. 160 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1016/j.micres.2004.09.004. PMID   15782933.
  20. 1 2 Tomaselli R. (1954). "Nuovi appunti sulla distribuzione geographica dei Basidiolicheni". Atti dell'Ist. Bot. & Lab. Crittogram. dell'Unive. Di Pavia. 5, 10 (in Italian): 319–327.
  21. ↑ Brodo IM (1968). "Herpethallon sanguineum (Sw.) Tobl. and some associated lichens from Southern Delaware". Bryologist. 69 (2): 120–121. doi:10.1639/0007-2745(1968)71[120:HSSTAS]2.0.CO;2.
  22. ↑ Brodo IM (1994). "Herpothallon sanguineum in Delaware: a reevaluation". Evansia. 11 (3): 87. doi: 10.5962/p.346027 . S2CID   254358523.
  23. ↑ Culberson WL (1964). "The range of Herpothallon sanguineum in the United States". The Bryologist. 67 (2): 224–226. doi:10.2307/3240814. JSTOR   3240814.
  24. ↑ Osorio HS (1997). "Contribution to the lichen flora of Brazil. XXXIV. Lichens from Laguna, Santa Catarina State". Comunicaciones Botanicas del Museo de Historia Natural de Montevideo. 6 (108): 1–4. ISSN   0027-0121.
  25. ↑ Piepenbring M. (2007). "Inventoring the fungi of Panama". Biodiversity and Conservation. 16 (1): 73–84. doi:10.1007/s10531-006-9051-8. S2CID   9276787.
  26. ↑ Tomaselli R. (1950). "Appunti sulla sistenatica e distribuzione geographica dei Basidiolicheni". Archives of Botany. 3, 10 (in Italian). 26.
  27. ↑ Hesse O. (1904). "Abeitrag zur Kenntis der Flechten und ihrer charakterischen Bestandteile. (Neunte Mitteilung.)". Journal für Praktische Chemie (in German). 70: 449–502. doi:10.1002/prac.19040700127.
  28. ↑ Seaward MR, Edwards HG, Farwell DW (1989). "Biological origins of major chemical disturbances on ecclesiastical architecture studied by FT-Raman spectroscopy". Journal of Raman Spectroscopy. 28 (9): 691–696. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-4555(199709)28:9<691::AID-JRS161>3.0.CO;2-4.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.