| Dibaeis baeomyces | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Pertusariales |
| Family: | Icmadophilaceae |
| Genus: | Dibaeis |
| Species: | D. baeomyces |
| Binomial name | |
| Dibaeis baeomyces | |
| Synonyms | |
Dibaeis baeomyces, commonly known as pink earth lichen, [2] is a fruticose lichen belonging to the family Icmadophilaceae. [3]
Carl Linnaeus the Younger described the pink earth lichen in his 1782 work Supplementum Plantarum as Lichen baeomyces. [4]
The genus Dibaeis was previously considered a synonym of genus Baeomyces, until genetic testing established that the genera were separate and not even especially closely related. [5] [6] D. baeomyces was one of the species which had its rDNA sequenced by both the 1997 study by Stenroos and DePriest published in the American Journal of Botany , [5] and the 1999 study by Platt and Spatafora published in The Lichenologist, [6] which both established the genera as genetically and morphologically distinct. D. baeomyces was, however, found to belong to a clade that also includes Siphula ceratites and Thamnolia vermicularis . [5] Baeomyces rufus , in particular, was noted as having been determined to be phylogenetically distant from D. baeomyces by Stenroos's and DePriest's analysis of genetic data. [5] A subsequent study by Platt and Spatafora, published in the journal Mycologia in 2000, used further DNA sequencing assays to establish that "Baeomycetaceae [to which B. rufus belongs] is a distinct taxon from the Icmadophilaceae [to which D. baeomyces belongs] and the two families represent independent lichenization events." [7]
D. baeomyces is characterized by bulbous pink apothecia, 1–4 mm in diameter, atop stalks no taller than 6 mm. [2] The thallus may be grey or white, and may have a pinkish tinge. [3]
D. baeomyces is related to Icmadophila ericetorum , the candy lichen, and the two species superficially resemble one another. [2] In some parts of North America where ranges overlap, both D. baeomyces and I. ericetorum are colloquially referred to as "fairy puke" lichen, leading to further confusion between the species. Its appearance is also superficially similar to some Cladonia species, particularly Cladonia cristatella (common name British soldiers), which has red tips rather than pink; [8] and to multiple Baeomyces species, which typically have brown tips. [2] B. rufus, as mentioned above, has pinkish bulbs atop its stalks, like D. baeomyces, but like other Baeomyces species it has been established as not being closely related to D. baeomyces. [5]
This lichen is found throughout eastern North America, from Alabama and Georgia in the south to the Arctic Circle in the north. While rare there, it does occur in both Alaska and the Northwest Territories. [3] It prefers to grow directly on unstable soils such as loose sand or dry clay, and in full sun. [2] It also prefers acid soils to neutral or alkaline. [1] On disturbed ground, a preferred habitat type, it is able to spread quickly for a lichen. [2]
The Cladoniaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Lecanorales, comprising about 560 species distributed amongst 18 genera. This family is one of the largest among lichen-forming fungi and is globally distributed, from Arctic tundra to tropical rainforests, favouring humid environments while being intolerant of arid conditions. Molecular phylogenetics has significantly advanced the understanding of their complex taxonomic history, revealing intricate evolutionary relationships and leading to a refined classification. Notable members include reindeer moss and cup lichens of the genus Cladonia, which consist of about 500 species and forms a significant part of the diet for large mammals in taiga and tundra ecosystems.
Cetraria is a genus of fruticose lichens that associate with green algae as photobionts. Most species are found at high latitudes, occurring on sand or heath, and are characterised by their "strap-like" form with spiny lobe edges. The lobes can range from narrow and linear to broader and flattened, often forming loose or densely packed cushions. Their distinctive spiny margins serve both a defensive role and aid in vegetative reproduction through fragmentation. The genus was created by Erik Acharius in 1803 and belongs to the large family Parmeliaceae. While originally a species-rich genus, taxonomic revisions since the 1960s have split many species into new genera, though the exact circumscription remains debated among lichenologists.
The Baeomycetales are an order of mostly lichen-forming fungi in the subclass Ostropomycetidae, in the class Lecanoromycetes. It contains 8 families, 33 genera and about 170 species. As a result of molecular phylogenetics research published in the late 2010s, several orders were folded into the Baeomycetales, resulting in a substantial increase in the number of taxa.
The Icmadophilaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Pertusariales. The family was circumscribed in 1993 by the mycologist Dagmar Treibel. It contains 9 genera and 35 species.
Carassea is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Cladoniaceae. The genus was circumscribed in 2002 by Finnish lichenologist Soili Stenroos. A monotypic genus, Carassea contains the single species Carassea connexa. This species, originally named Cladonia connexa, was first documented by Edvard August Wainio, who collected specimens from Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 1885, and published a description of the species in the first of his three-volume Monographia Cladoniarum universalis. The Cladoniaceae genera most closely related to Carassea include Pycnothelia and Metus.
Rhymbocarpus is a genus of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungi in the family Cordieritidaceae. It has 10 species. The genus was circumscribed by German mycologist Friedrich Wilhelm Zopf in 1896, with Rhymbocarpus punctiformis assigned as the type species.
Icmadophila is a genus of crustose lichen. The genus has a widespread distribution in the Northern Hemisphere and contains six species. The only species found in North America, Icmadophila ericetorum, has a mint green crustose thallus that is dotted with bright pink apothecial disks, and is sometimes colloquially referred to as "fairy puke". It aggressively grows over mosses on well-rotted wood and peat. It looks very distinctive, but may be confused with species of Dibaeis.
Pilophorus acicularis, commonly known as the nail lichen or the devil's matchstick lichen, is a species of matchstick lichen in the family Cladoniaceae.
Parmelia saxatilis, commonly known as the salted shield lichen or crottle, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. Several morphologically similar species, formerly lumped together, are now distinguished by their DNA.
Baeomyces rufus, commonly known as the brown beret lichen, is a fruticose lichen belonging to the cap lichen family, Baeomycetaceae. The species was first described by J.F Rebentisch in 1804. Like other lichens, it is a symbiosis between a fungus and an alga.
Cladonia sobolescens, commonly known as the peg lichen, is a species of fruticose lichen. It is found in temperate eastern North America and East Asia.
Pulchrocladia retipora, commonly known as the coral lichen, is a species of fruticose lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. Found predominantly in Australasia, its habitats range from the Australian Capital Territory to New Zealand's North and South Islands, and even the Pacific region of New Caledonia, where it grows in coastal and alpine heathlands. The lichen features coral-like branches and subbranches with numerous intricate, netlike perforations. It is known by multiple names, with some sources referring to it by its synonym Cladia retipora, or the common name lace lichen.
Dibaeis yurii is a little-known species of terricolous (ground-dwelling) lichen in the family Icmadophilaceae. It is found in the Russian Far East and in South Korea.
Xanthoria yorkensis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Found in South Australia, it was formally described as a new species in 2009 by lichenologists Sergey Kondratyuk and Ingvar Kärnefelt. The type specimen, collected along the Maitland road in Yorke Peninsula, was found growing on Melaleuca trees in mallee scrub. The species epithet refers to its type locality, the only place the lichen is known to occur. Kondratyuk and colleagues proposed to transfer the taxon to the newly circumscribed Jackelixia in 2009, but this genus has not been widely accepted by other authorities.
Xanthoria kangarooensis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Found in Australia, it was formally described as a new species in 2009 by lichenologists Sergey Kondratyuk and Ingvar Kärnefelt. The type specimen was collected from East Kangaroo Island, where it was found growing on dead Lycium ferocissimum shrubs. Other associated lichens include species of Pyxine, Ramalina, and Rinodina. The species epithet kangarooensis refers to its type locality, the only place the lichen is known to occur. Kondratyuk and colleagues proposed to transfer the taxon to the newly circumscribed Jackelixia in 2009, but this genus has not been widely accepted by other authorities.
Siphulopsis is a single-species fungal genus in the family Icmadophilaceae. This monotypic genus the contains the fruticose lichen species Siphulopsis queenslandica, found in Australia. This lichen was originally described by Gintaras Kantvilas in 2018. He tentatively classified it in the genus Knightiella due to morphological similarities with Knightiella eucalypti, but molecular phylogenetics revealed it to constitute a distinct lineage.
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.
Endocena is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Icmadophilaceae. It has two species. Endocena is characterised by a thallus that can range from crustose to somewhat fruticose, with features such as hollow pustules, pseudopodetia, and granular phyllocladia. Apothecia, or sexual fruiting bodies, are rare and poorly developed. The three taxa within the genus have distinct distributional ranges, with Endocena informis var. informis being widely distributed in southern South America, while Endocena informis var. falklandica is common in the Falkland Islands, and Endocena buckii has a restricted range in Chilean Tierra del Fuego.
Cladonia floerkeana is a species of fruticose lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. The species produces distinctive bright red spore-bearing structures (apothecia) on thin, upright stalks (podetia) that can be variably branched. These stalks may be smooth, rough, or covered in tiny scales. The species was first described by Elias Magnus Fries in 1824 as Cenomyce floerkeana and later transferred to the genus Cladonia by Heinrich Gustav Flörke in 1828. C. floerkeana is closely related to Cladonia macilenta, from which it is distinguished by its lack of soredia and its chemical properties. Commonly known as gritty British soldiers or Bengal match lichen, this species functions as a pioneer organism in nutrient-poor environments.