| Fissurina elixii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Graphidales |
| Family: | Graphidaceae |
| Genus: | Fissurina |
| Species: | F. elixii |
| Binomial name | |
| Fissurina elixii (A.W.Archer) A.W.Archer (2005) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Fissurina elixii is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. [2] It is found in New South Wales and Tasmania in Australia.
The lichen was first described in 1998 by the lichenologist Alan W. Archer; he initially classified it as a species of genus Graphis . The type specimen was collected from Monga National Park in New South Wales at an elevation of 665 m (2,182 ft); there it was found growing on Eucryphia moorei in a rainforest. The botanical name honours John Elix, who collected the type. [3] Archer transferred the taxon to the genus Fissurina in 2005. [4]
Fissurina elixii has a pale olive-grey, glossy, continuous, and cracked thallus that is 40–100 µm thick and forms irregular, diffuse patches up to 60 mm wide, without crystals of calcium oxalate. Its lirellae (elongated, slit-like reproductive structures) are scattered, unbranched, straight or slightly curved, measuring 0.5–2 mm long, appearing as cracks in the thallus with the cortex forming a pair of lips that gape slightly, revealing the upper edge of the slightly carbonised (blackened) exciple , which usually obscures the disc . In cross-section, the exciple is poorly differentiated from adjacent tissues, varying in thickness and colour from hyaline (translucent) to yellowish laterally and basally to brown-black or olive-black apically, with numerous periphysoids (hair-like structures) at the margins. [5]
The hypothecium (tissue layer beneath the hymenium) of the lichen is 10–20 µm thick, while the hymenium (spore-bearing layer) measures 80–120 µm. The asci (spore-containing structures) typically contain 6–8 spores, measuring 70–100 by 17–25 µm, with paraphyses (filamentous structures in the hymenium) that are 1.5–2 µm wide and have minutely spinous apices. The ascospores are broadly ellipsoid with rounded apices, transversely 3-septate (with three cross-walls), typically measuring 16–26 by 8–11 µm, and has a pale blue staining reaction to iodine when mature. Chemically, the lichen primarily contains 2–methoxypsoromic acid and a minor amount of 2'–O–demethyl–2–methoxypsoromic acid. Although the thallus is generally too thin to reliably conduct chemical spot tests, a P+ (yellow) reaction is possible at the lirellae. Identification of these chemical compounds typically requires high-performance liquid chromatography, as they appear similar to psoromic and conpsoromic acids on thin-layer chromatography plates. [5]
Fissurina elixii has been documented growing on the trunks of Anopterus glandulosus and Tasmannia lanceolata trees within relic stands of Atherosperma -dominated rainforest located in southeastern Tasmania. Additionally, this species is found in eastern New South Wales, although it is relatively rare there. What sets Fissurina elixii apart from other Tasmanian species within its genus is its unique chemical composition, specifically the presence of substances structurally related to psoromic acid. [5]
Graphis crebra is a species of corticolous lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It has a pantropical distribution. Like other script lichens, it grows on bark and resembles calligraphy. It can be distinguished from several other similar species by the white pruina (powder) on its apothecial discs.
Carbacanthographis salazinica is a species of script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. Found in Australia, it was described as a new species in 2001 by lichenologist Alan Archer. The type specimen was collected by Archer in Conglomerate State Forest. Here the lichen was found growing on the bark of a palm tree. Its thallus is thin and grayish-green, with conspicuous white lirellae measuring 1–4 mm long. The specific epithet refers to salazinic acid, the presence of which is a distinguishing characteristic of this species. The lichen also has trace amounts of other secondary chemicals, including consalazinic acid, norstictic acid, and protocetraric acid. In 2005 Archer transferred the taxon to genus Carbacanthographis.
Diorygma archeri is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Graphidaceae. Found in Vietnam, it was formally described as a new species in 2013 by Santosh Joshi and Jae-Seoun Hur. The type specimen was collected from Yok Đôn National Park at an altitude of about 760 m (2,490 ft). The species epithet honours Australian lichenologist Alan W. Archer.
Pertusaria albineoides is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Pertusariaceae. Found on the Galápagos Islands, it was formally described as a new species in 2015 by Frank Bungartz, A.W.Archer, Alba Yánez-Ayabaca, and John Elix. The type specimen was collected on Alcedo Volcano at an altitude of 1,089 m (3,573 ft), where it was found growing on a partially shaded, rain- and wind-exposed trunk of Scalesia microcephala. The species epithet refers to the similarity to the species Pertusaria albinea, from which it differs by having thin-walled ellipsoid-shaped ascospores that are longer and narrower.
Allographa pedunculata is a species of script lichen in the family Graphidaceae, discovered in the Galápagos Islands. The species is characterized by its distinctly stalked lirellae and contains norstictic acid. It is similar to other species in the Graphis nuda species complex but has the longest ascospores in the group.
Acanthothecis collateralis is a rare endemic species of script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. Found in the Andaman Islands of India, it was formally described as a new species in 2007 by Urmila Makhija and Bharati Adawadkar. It is distinguished from other Acanthothecis species by its specific arrangement of ascomata and distinct chemical composition.
Fissurina capsulata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. Found in India, it was formally described as a new species in 2007 by Urmila Makhija and Bharati Adawadkar. The lichen is native to Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, where it was first identified near Daisy Bank in 1975.
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 karnatakensis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. Found in India, it was formally described as a new species in 2007 by Urmila Makhija and Bharati Adawadkar. It grows on tree trunks in exposed conditions along roadsides within moist forests, particularly in Karnataka, a state known for its many endemic lichen species.
Fissurina khasiana is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) script lichen in the family Graphidaceae. It is found in India, specifically in the evergreen forests of Upper Shillong in the Khasi Hills; its species name is derived from the region where it was first collected. The lichen was formally described as a new species 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.
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.
Fissurina alligatorensis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Graphidaceae. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Erioderma borbonicum is a little-known species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Pannariaceae. It is endemic to Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean. The lichen forms a dense, cushion-like thallus with a diameter of 3 to 4 cm, with flat, slightly overlapping lobes with a grey-brown upper surface and cream-coloured underside.
Enterographa aldabrensis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. It is only known to occur in Aldabra in the Seychelles.
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.