| Elixjohnia | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Teloschistales |
| Family: | Teloschistaceae |
| Genus: | Elixjohnia S.Y.Kondr. & Hur (2017) |
| Type species | |
| Elixjohnia jackelixii | |
| Species | |
E. bermaguiana Contents | |
Elixjohnia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. [1] It has four species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that occur in Australasia.
Elixjohnia was circumscribed in 2017 by Sergey Kondratyuk and Jae-Seoun Jur in 2017, with Elixjohnia jackelixii assigned as the type species. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the genus is in the large Sirenophila - Teloschistopsis -Halophila subclade of the subfamily Teloschistoideae (family Teloschistaceae). The genus name honours Australian chemist and lichenologist John A. ("Jack") Elix. [2] The existence and phylogenetic structure of the genus was corroborated by molecular work published by Wilk and colleagues in 2021. [3]
Elixjohnia is characterised by a thallus that is typically zoned , presenting initial appearances of brownish or a dirty greenish yellow in sterile circles. These circles can be dull, smooth, and continuous in their peripheral zones, or may lack any zonation. The thallus is often notably thick, especially at its centre, but may also be evenly continuous. The texture varies, with some specimens being smooth and entire, while others are distinctly areolate . Colours can range from whitish, yellowish, or greyish shades to brighter hues of red or reddish-orange. Over time, the upper surface can become cracked and eroded, occasionally revealing isidia-like formations. In many cases, the medulla, or inner tissue, is exposed through these cracks. [2]
Adjacent to the thallus is the prothallus , which can either be well-developed or completely absent. The apothecia , or spore-producing structures, are frequently observed and tend to be small in size. In some species, these apothecia are zeorine , at least initially, but can also be lecanorine or biatorine in form. Their disc is often a brownish-orange or yellowish-brown shade, sometimes with hints of red or even transitioning to a dull orange or a bright scarlet. Microscopically, the true exciple (outer rim of the apothecium) is made of scleroplectenchymatous tissue. The paraphyses , or sterile fungal filaments, contain oil cells of the bermaguiana-type. Typically, there are eight spores in each ascus, but it is not uncommon to find 2, 4, or 6 mature bipolar ascospores accompanied by aborted ones. These ascospores can range from narrowly to broadly ellipsoid in shape. Finally, the conidia , or asexual spores, are broad and either ellipsoid or bacilliform , with measurements typically falling between 2–3 by 1.2–1.7 μm. Parietin is the major lichen substance associated with this genus. [2]
Elixjohnia species predominantly colonise exposed coastal rocks, including quartzite, granite, basalt, and dolerite. These lichens are typically found at or above the high tide level. It is not uncommon to find species such as E. jackelixii and E. gallowayi growing alongside each other. Additionally, they often share their habitat with species from various genera, including Tarasginia whinrayi , T. tomareana , Sirenophila eos , Jackelixia ligulata , Gondwania sublobulata , and Caloplaca conranii . Geographically, Elixjohnia species have an Australasian distribution, spanning across southern and southeastern Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. [2]
The Teloschistaceae are a large family of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. Many members of the Teloschistaceae are readily identifiable by their vibrant orange to yellow hue, a result of their frequent anthraquinone content. The presence of these anthraquinone pigments, which confer protection from ultraviolet light, enabled this group to expand from shaded forest habitats to harsher environmental conditions of sunny and arid ecosystems during the Late Cretaceous. Collectively, the family has a cosmopolitan distribution, although members occur predominantly in subtropical and temperate regions. Although most members are lichens that either live on rock or on bark, about 40 species are lichenicolous fungi–meaning they live on other lichens.
Neobrownliella brownlieae is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is widely distributed in Australia.
Gyalolechia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi belonging to the family Teloschistaceae. It contains 18 species of crustose lichens.
Sirenophila is a genus of crustose lichens in the subfamily Teloschistoideae of the family Teloschistaceae. It has four species with an Australasian distribution.
Kaernefia is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Teloschistaceae. It has three species, found in Australia or South Africa.
Huneckia is a genus of crustose lichens in the subfamily Caloplacoideae of the family Teloschistaceae. It has four species.
Gallowayella aphrodites is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), foliose (leafy) lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in the Mediterranean countries Greece, Cyprus, and Italy. Characteristics of the lichen include its small thallus, the disposition of the rhizines on the thallus undersurface, and the lack of vegetative propagules.
Wetmoreana is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has two crustose, saxicolous (rock-dwelling) species.
Gallowayella hasseana, the poplar sunburst lichen, is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It occurs in North America.
Tomnashia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has four species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that occur in southwestern North America.
Rusavskia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has 12 species. It is a member of the subfamily Xanthorioideae. The thallus of Rusavskia is characterized by its foliose (leaf-like) structure with distinct and typically narrow lobes that curve outwards.
Opeltia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has four species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichens.
Erichansenia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has three species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens.
Gallowayella montana is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It occurs in North America.
Fauriea is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. The genus, which contains seven species, is a member of the subfamily Caloplacoideae.
Marchantiana is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains seven species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichens that occur in the Southern Hemisphere.
Verrucoplaca is a monotypic fungal genus in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains the single species Verrucoplaca verruculifera, a widely distributed saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen that grows on coastal rocks.
Eilifdahlia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains three species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichens that occur in the Southern Hemisphere.
Hosseusiella is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has three species of crustose to foliose (leafy) lichens, some of which grow on bark, while others grow on rock. All three occur in the southern part of the South American continent, where they are fairly common.
Pisutiella is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains five species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that are found in a variety of environments in the Northern Hemisphere.