Flavoplaca sol

Flavoplaca sol
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Lecanoromycetes
Order:	Teloschistales
Family:	Teloschistaceae
Genus:	Flavoplaca
Species:	F. sol
Binomial name
	Flavoplaca sol; (Orange) Arup & Søchting (2024)
	Holotype site: Benllech, Wales
Synonyms
	Caloplaca sol Orange (2017);

Last updated January 24, 2025

Flavoplaca sol (formerly Caloplaca sol) is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found on limestone and basic siliceous rocks along the southern and western shores of Great Britain.

Taxonomy

The lichen was formally described as a new species in 2018 by the lichenologist Alan Orange. The species epithet sol, derived from the Latin word for "sun", was chosen to reflect the rich yellow colour of its often circular thalli , and its preference for growing on dry, sun-exposed rocks.^[1] In 2024, based on molecular phylogenetics analysis, the species was transferred to the genus Flavoplaca by Ulf Arup and Ulrik Søchting. The analysis showed that F. sol forms part of a sister clade to most other Flavoplaca species, alongside F. navasiana and F. itiana .^[2]

Description

The lichen features a prominent, crust-like, non- placodioid , orange-yellow body with cracks, and fruiting bodies (apothecia) that are up to about 0.66 millimetres in diameter. Its spores are approximately 11.0 to 13.0 micrometres in length, with a septum (a dividing wall or partition) about 0.4 times the length of the spore. The species is found exclusively near coastal areas in southern and western Britain, with known locations ranging from Dorset and Cornwall up to North Wales.^[1]

Similar species

Flavoplaca sol, with its well-defined, cracked- areolate , completely epilithic thallus and sessile apothecia the same colour as its thallus, can be easily confused with other species in the field. It is often mistaken for a morph of Flavoplaca marina , which typically has a darker orange colour and more convex areoles. Flavoplaca marina is commonly found in the splash zone of seashores, sometimes extending above the high-water mark on sea-facing slopes. Its areoles are usually thicker and strongly convex near the shore, but those found above the splash zone may resemble F. sol more closely, presenting challenges in distinguishing individual specimens based solely on morphology.^[1]

Flavoplaca maritima differs from F. sol in its more convex areoles that tend to become isolated as the thallus ages, and its young apothecia often feature a yellow crenulate thalline margin. Another species, Gyalolechia flavovirescens , has large orange apothecia, which contrast sharply with its yellow epilithic thallus. Xanthocarpia diffusa , typically found on damp or poorly drained surfaces and not in coastal habitats in Great Britain, has a less developed epilithic thallus and ascospores with a much narrower septum. Finally, Athallia vitellinula , as defined by Ulf Arup, is a non-maritime species characterised by a thin, inconspicuous, discontinuous pale yellow thallus, and small apothecia up to 0.44 mm in diameter in British specimens.^[1]

Related Research Articles

Flavoplaca is a genus of crust-like or scaly lichens in the family Teloschistaceae. It has about 30 species with a mostly Northern Hemisphere distribution.

Catenarina desolata is a species of lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It was formally described as a new species in 2014 by lichenologists Ulrik Søchting, Majbrit Søgaard, and Arve Elvebakk. It is predominantly found in the southernmost parts of Chile, with some instances in Antarctica and the Kerguelen Islands. Characterised by its dark reddish-brown to almost purple apothecia, this species of lichen was originally thought to be lichenicolous, meaning it grows on other lichens, particularly Aspicilia species. The later discovery non-lichen-dwelling examples from James Ross Island in the Antarctic Peninsula suggests that it is not exclusively lichenicolous. Its distinctive secondary compound, 7-chlorocatenarin, sets it apart from other lichens in the region.

Variospora flavescens is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is a common, widely distributed species and has been recorded in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Macaronesia.

Obscuroplaca is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains three species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichens.

Solitaria is a fungal genus in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains a single species, the corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen Solitaria chrysophthalma.

Usnochroma is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has two species of crustose lichens. The genus was circumscribed in 2013 by lichenologists Ulrik Søchting, Ulf Arup, and Patrik Frödén, with Usnochroma carphineum assigned as the type species. The genus name refers to the yellowish-green colour of the thallus, which is caused by the substance usnic acid. Usnochroma species occur in Macaronesia, South Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, and Algeria.

Flavoplaca arcis is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose to squamulose (scaley) lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Although widely distributed in Northern, Central, and Western Europe, it is not commonly encountered.

Charcotiana is a single-species genus in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains the species Charcotiana antarctica, a crustose lichen found in Antarctica.

Leproplaca cirrochroa is a widespread and common species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It grows up to 5 cm across, featuring a placodioid thallus with narrow, finger-like lobes that adhere closely to the surface, showing intricate division and ranging in colour from dirty orange to brownish orange, often with paler, pruinose orange ends.

Xanthocarpia erichansenii is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in southwest Greenland, where it grows on loess among mosses.

Flavoplaca austrocitrina is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is widely distributed in Europe, and has also been recorded in South America.

Flavoplaca maritima is a species of crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in costal areas of Northern, Western, and Southern Europe. It mostly occurs on rocks, but has also been recorded growing on wood.

Parvoplaca tiroliensis is a species of crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae, and the type species of the genus Parvoplaca. It is widely distributed, and has been recorded growing on a variety of substrates, including moss, dead plant material, and bone.

Flavoplaca kantvilasii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Found in Australia, it was formally described as a new species in 2007.

Flavoplaca arcisproxima is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found primarily in the coastal regions of the Crimean Peninsula and the eastern Mediterranean, particularly in Crete, Greece.

Flavoplaca oasis is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is widely distributed across Europe, and has been reported in Western Asia, China, and North Africa.

Kuettlingeria soralifera is a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen species in the family Teloschistaceae, first described in 2006. It is similar to Kuettlingeria xerica but distinguished by the presence of soredia on its thallus.

Hanstrassia lenae is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) in the family Teloschistaceae. Described as a new species in 2007, the lichen is found in Russian Far East, Mongolia, and Siberia. It closely resembles Elenkiniana ehrenbergii but distinguished by the presence of soralia on its thallus. This species has a thick, effigurate thallus with weak marginal lobes and developed marginal, labriform (lip-shaped) soralia.

Transdrakea is a small genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It comprises two species of crustose lichens that grow on rocks. The genus is characterised by its poorly developed thallus, zeorine apothecia, and small ascospores with thin septa. Chemically, Transdrakea species contain anthraquinones, particularly parietin.

Flavoplaca citrina, the mealy firedot lichen, is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is a common species with a cosmopolitan distribution.

References

1 2 3 4 5 Orange, Alan (2018). "Caloplaca sol (Teloschistaceae), a new coastal lichen from Great Britain". The Lichenologist. 50 (4): 411–424. doi: 10.1017/S0024282918000142 .
1 2 Arup, Ulf; Søchting, Ulrik; Lorentzon, Johan (2024). "Caloplaca ruderum new to Sweden and new combinations in Flavoplaca (Ascomycota, Teloschistales)". Graphis Scripta. 36 (6): 113–122.

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[Orange_2018-1] 1 2 3 4 5 Orange, Alan (2018). "Caloplaca sol (Teloschistaceae), a new coastal lichen from Great Britain". The Lichenologist. 50 (4): 411–424. doi: 10.1017/S0024282918000142 .

[Arup_et_al._2024-2] 1 2 Arup, Ulf; Søchting, Ulrik; Lorentzon, Johan (2024). "Caloplaca ruderum new to Sweden and new combinations in Flavoplaca (Ascomycota, Teloschistales)". Graphis Scripta. 36 (6): 113–122.

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