Fissurina alligatorensis

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Fissurina alligatorensis
Fissurina alligatorensis - Flickr - pellaea (2).jpg
on sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua )
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Graphidales
Family: Graphidaceae
Genus: Fissurina
Species:
F. alligatorensis
Binomial name
Fissurina alligatorensis
Lendemer & R.C.Harris (2013)

Fissurina alligatorensis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Graphidaceae. [1] Characteristics of the lichen include its lack of secondary compounds and an ecorticate thallus. Its habitat is centred around the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, USA, and it has a preference for soft-barked trees. While it can easily be confused with other Fissurina species, there are specific characters that distinguish it, such as its violet ascospores and its lirellate fruiting bodies.

Contents

Taxonomy

Fissurina alligatorensis was formally described by lichenologists James Lendemer and Richard C. Harris in 2013. Its species epithet, alligatorensis, makes reference to its type locality. The term also symbolically encompasses the expansive swamps and pocosins that envelop the Alligator River drainage and take up considerable areas of Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and nearby Currituck counties. The holotype was found by the first author in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in Dare County, North Carolina, in December 2012. [2]

Description

Fissurina alligatorensis is a bark-dwelling lichen with a thin, smooth, ecorticate (i.e., lacking a cortex) thallus that ranges in colour from green-grey to grey. It is marked by large crystal inclusions and is devoid of lichenised diaspores such as isidia or soredia. Its lirellae , or fruiting structures, are non- carbonised , lengthy, flexuous and often branch out extensively in a star-like ("stellate") fashion. The exciple , the outer layer of the apothecium , is also non-carbonised, poorly developed and plain, not grooved. It is hyaline to yellowish-brown at the top and contains large calcium oxalate crystals. [2]

The hymenium, the spore-bearing layer, is clear, not inspersed and measures 80–100  μm in height. The lichen's ascospores are hyaline, obtuse-ellipsoid to more or less spherical, and react I+ (violet) in iodine. They measure 15.5–21.0 by 9.8–12.6 μm and there are typically 8 per ascus (spore sac) initially. However, several spores often abort before maturity. The lichen does not produce pycnidia (asexual fruiting bodies), and it does not exhibit secondary metabolites according to standard chemical spot tests. [2]

Habitat and distribution

Closeup of thallus surface showing crystalline inclusions Fissurina alligatorensis - Flickr - pellaea.jpg
Closeup of thallus surface showing crystalline inclusions

Fissurina alligatorensis is prevalent in swamp, pocosin, and bottomland hardwood forest environments throughout the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain and Southeastern Coastal Plain, from northeastern North Carolina to northern Florida. Despite the apparent gap in distribution from central North Carolina through South Carolina to Georgia, the authors anticipate that the species will be found throughout North Carolina and South Carolina as the lichen inventory proceeds southward. The lichen seems absent from the coastal regions of Georgia, suggesting a distribution pattern similar to the Atlantic white cedar or willow oak. [2]

Fissurina alligatorensis has a particular affinity for soft-barked tree species, especially Nyssa , where all known collections have been made. Although it is relatively inconspicuous, it seems to be uncommon or infrequent in most areas and is only abundant in the Alligator River drainage of North Carolina. [2]

Similar species

In the field, Fissurina alligatorensis may be easily confused with other Fissurina members, especially F. illiterata and F. cypressi . F. illiterata typically does not grow on soft-barked substrates and differs from F. alligatorensis with its smaller, shorter lirellae and 4-celled ascospores that do not react to iodine (I−). F. cypressi, on the other hand, is often found alongside the new species, even forming mosaic thalli on the same tree. Nonetheless, it differs from F. alligatorensis in its larger lirellae, usually with an open, white pruinose disc, and large muriform ascospores that also do not react to iodine (I−). [2]

Other species of Fissurina, such as F. egena and F. incrustans , share the combination of muriform, iodine-reactive (I+) violet ascospores, fissurine lirellae, and absence of secondary compounds. However, both of these species differ from F. alligatorensis in having a corticate rather than ecorticate thalli. All these taxa lack secondary compounds detectable with thin-layer chromatography or spot tests. [2] The Colombian species Fissurina linoana differs from F. alligatorensis in the I-negative ascospores with thin walls and septa. [3]

The new species is also similar to some members of the genus Acanthothecis that have ecorticate or weakly corticate thalli. However, they are readily separated by having ornamented paraphyse tips, a characteristic absent in F. alligatorensis. [2]

Conservation

Although Fissurina alligatorensis is widespread within its preferred habitats, it appears to be uncommon or infrequent in most areas, raising potential conservation concerns. At the time of its original publication, its exact distribution range was yet to be fully mapped, with further fieldwork required, particularly in regions such as North Carolina and South Carolina. Additional research was needed to confirm the absence of this lichen species in certain areas such as the Georgia Sea Islands. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Fissurina</i> Genus of fungi

Fissurina is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Graphidaceae. It has about 160 species, most of which are found in tropical regions.

Platygramme lueckingii is a species of script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It is found in Hainan Island in tropical China, where it grows on bark.

Redonographa is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the monogeneric family Redonographaceae. It has five species.

Jocatoa is a fungal genus in the family Graphidaceae. It contains the single species Jocatoa agminalis, a corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen that can be found in dry forests and semi-arid regions throughout Colombia, Mexico, and the United States. The genus is characterized by its simple, thin paraphysis tips and the absence of an epithecium. Named in honor of the late Professor José Castillo Tovar for his contributions to Mexican mycology, Jocatoa is distinguishable from other superficially similar genera such as Diorygma and Glyphis based on its distinctive features, chemical composition, and molecular data.

Fissurina coarctata is a species of script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It is found in India, where it grows in tropical rainforests and moist deciduous forests. This corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen is primarily found on exposed tree trunks along roadsides. Its thallus has a yellowish-brown to olive-green colour and has a thick, verrucose texture. The species was formally described as new to science in 2007 by Urmila Makhija and Bharati Adawadkar.

Fissurina longiramea is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It is found in various locations across India, including the Andaman Islands, Karnataka, and the Nicobar Islands, where it grows in tropical rainforests. The lichen was formally described as a new species in 2007 by Urmila Makhija and Bharati Adawadkar.

Fissurina amyloidea is a little-known species of script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It is found in the primary rainforests of Rondônia, Brazil. It is characterized by its weakly carbonizedlirellae and thick-walled, strongly amyloid ascospores. Despite its superficial similarity to Fissurina subfurfuracea, F. amyloidea exhibits unique anatomical features that set it apart from other species within the genus.

Allographa grandis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Graphidaceae. Found in Cameroon, it is characterised its large ascomata and ascospores, and an inspersed hymenium.

Calopadia saxicola is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Pilocarpaceae. It is found on the rocky shores of southern Brazil, where it thrives in the shade of vegetated zones and grows directly on rocks away from other crustose lichens. The lichen was formally described as a new species in 2015. Calopadia saxicola stands out from its close relatives due to its well-defined thallus, reddish-brown disc, thicker hymenium, and smaller conidia.

Clandestinotrema portoricense is a rare species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Graphidaceae. Found in Puerto Rico, it was described as a new species in 2014. It is characterised by its white, slightly shiny thallus that can span several centimetres in diameter, and its rounded ascomata that are immersed in the thallus. Unlike most of its genus counterparts, C. portoricense possesses septated (partitioned) spores and a carbonised (blackened) excipulum and columella, effectively distinguishing it from similar species.

Fissurina chrysocarpa is a little-known species of script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. Found primarily in the rainforests of Rondônia, Brazil, it is distinguished by its bright orange lirellae.

Fissurina duplicans is a little-known species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It is found in primary rainforests of Brazil. The lichen has an endoperidermal thallus and a double margin of lirellae, setting it apart from similar species.

Glyphis frischiana is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It is distinguished by its large ascospores, single-spored asci, and the presence of stictic acid as a major metabolite. Found on the trunk of Eucalyptus trees in Cameroon, it is similar in appearance to Glyphis atrofusca but can be distinguished by these key characteristics.

Phlyctis monosperma is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Phlyctidaceae. It is characterised by its greyish-white, loose, granular thallus, single-spored asci, and distinctive chemical substances. The lichen is found in the subtropical evergreen forests of the Eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats of India, where it grows on rough tree bark in close association with plant-dwelling bryophytes at elevations above 2,000 m (6,600 ft). It also occurs in Sri Lanka.

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>Dyplolabia afzelii</i> Species of lichen

Dyplolabia afzelii is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It has a pantropical distribution. The lichen has a thallus with colours ranging from yellow to pale olive buff, dark brownish tan, or grey, characterised by its smooth texture and considerable thickness. Its ascomata are lirelline, often raised from the thallus surface and concealed under a powdery white layer.

<i>Fissurina insidiosa</i> Species of lichen

Fissurina insidiosa is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. Found in the Southern Hemisphere, it has been recorded from mainland Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific region, the Caribbean, and India.

Fissurina elixii is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It is found in New South Wales and Tasmania in Australia.

Allographa anguilliradians is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It has been found in Trinidad and Tobago and Central-West Brazil. Its thallus covers an area of 3 to 7 cm in diameter with a slim profile and a variable surface texture, with a distinct metallic pale grey-olive colour without a prothallus. Its reproductive structures, known as lirellae, form a star-like pattern with black, carbonised outer layers and clear, colourless hymenium, while its ascospores are oblong and segmented, reacting violet-blue to iodine-based stains.

Graphis paraschiffneri is a little-known species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It is only known to occur in Nicaragua. Closely related to Graphis schiffneri, the lichen is distinguished from this lookalike by its longer ascospores with more septa and extended lirellae.

References

  1. ↑ "Fissurina alligatorensis Lendemer & R.C. Harris". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Lendemer, J.C.; Harris, R.C. (2014). "Seven new species of Graphidaceae (lichenized ascomycetes) from the Coastal Plain of southeastern North America". Phytotaxa. 189: 153–175. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.189.1.11.
  3. ↑ Lücking, Robert; Moncada, Bibiana; Martínez-Habibe, María Cristina; Salgado-Negret, Beatriz E.; Celis, Marcela; Rojas-Zamora, Oscar; Rodríguez-M., Gina M.; Brokamp, Grischa; Borsch, Thomas (2019). "Biological diversity in Colombian Caribbean dry forest remnants in Atlántico: Lichen communities in the Distrito Regional de Manejo Integrado Luriza and the Reserva Forestal Protectora el Palomar". Caldasia. 41 (1): 194–214. doi: 10.15446/caldasia.v41n1.71060 .
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