Maronora | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Ascomycota |
Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
Order: | Umbilicariales |
Family: | Fuscideaceae |
Genus: | Maronora Kalb & Aptroot (2018) |
Species: | M. cyanosora |
Binomial name | |
Maronora cyanosora Kalb & Aptroot (2018) | |
Maronora is a monotypic fungal genus in the family Fuscideaceae. [1] It contains the single species Maronora cyanosora, a corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen. [2] It is characterised by its distinctive bluish-grey circular soralia on the thallus, Lecanora -like apothecia, and simple, hyaline ascospores .
Maronora cyanosora was initially identified and named by lichenologists Klaus Kalb and André Aptroot in 2018. The genus name, Maronora, is a combination of the names of two genera: Maronina , which shares a similar ascus type, and Lecanora , which bears a similar appearance. The specific epithet, cyanosora, refers to the striking bluish-grey colour of the soredia. The type specimen was collected by the first author in Brazil, precisely between Feira de Santana and Milagres in Bahia. It was found on the bark of trees in the Caatinga, a unique habitat found in Brazil. [2]
Maronora cyanosora bears some resemblance to certain corticolous species of Lecanora that have dark hypothecia , as noted by H. Thorsten Lumbsch and colleagues. [3] However, it stands out due to its unique hypothecium chemistry, characterized by a blood-red solution when treated with KOH. This distinctive feature sets it apart from other species. Furthermore, the ascus tip of Maronora cyanosora shows similarities to the Fuscidea -type, further supporting its placement in a separate genus within the Fuscideaceae family. [2]
The thallus of Maronora cyanosora has a pale ochraceous-white colour, minute rimose structure, and thin cortex, measuring up to 0.1 mm in thickness. It is surrounded by a blackish prothallus line, approximately 0.1 mm wide. Soralia, which are sessile and predominantly punctiform to circular, has a striking bluish-grey colour and a powdery texture. With age, the soralia tend to merge, forming larger patches. The photobiont , which forms a symbiotic relationship with the fungus, is chlorococcoid and measures around 5–10 μm in diameter. [2]
Apothecia are relatively rare in Maronora cyanosora. They are sessile and typically not constricted at their bases, having a round shape with diameters ranging from 0.3 to 0.7 mm. The disc of the apothecia appears flat, dull, and dark chocolate brown without any powdery coating (pruina). The margin, pale ochraceous white, does not rise above the level of the disc. Over time, it may become partially covered by bluish-grey soredia, approximately 0.15 mm wide. The hymenium is hyaline. The epithecium , when treated with a solution of KOH, shows a brown colour due to dissolving tiny crystals. The paraphysis tips remain dark brown and unaffected by KOH treatment. In contrast, the hypothecium turns dark brown, releasing a blood-red solution when exposed to KOH. The excipulum , comprising the outermost layer of the apothecium, contains large hyaline crystals. The ascus, resembling the Fuscidea -type, consists of an outer amyloid surface and an amyloid inner hollow long conical part, containing 4–6 ascospores . The ascospores themselves are hyaline, lack septa, broadly ellipsoid, and have rounded ends, measuring 8–9 μm by 6.5–7 μm. Pycnidia , another type of reproductive structure, have not been observed in this species. [2]
Through thin-layer chromatography, the major compound identified is atranorin, accompanied by at least five unidentified aliphatic acids as submajor components. Additionally, the hypothecium contains an unidentified anthraquinone, likely boryquinone. [2]
Maronora cyanosora is found exclusively on tree bark in the Caatinga, an ecoregion of semi-arid tropical vegetation in Brazil. At the time of its publication, this species was known only from Brazil, specifically recorded in the states of Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul. It has a localized distribution within the Caatinga forest of Bahia, where it is relatively common, but a collection from Rio Grande do Sul suggests that its distribution in Brazil could be more widespread. [2]
Calopadia cinereopruinosa is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Pilocarpaceae. Found in the Galápagos Islands, it was described as new to science in 2011. It is characterized by its grey-black, white-pruinose apothecia and aeruginous hypothecium. This lichen usually grows on the bark of stems and twigs in the humid zones of the islands.
Enterographa rotundata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. This species was discovered in Brazil, growing on the smooth bark of trees in the Brazilian Caatinga forest. It has round apothecia, a feature that sets it apart from most of its kind.
Lecanactis minutissima is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. Found in Sri Lanka, the lichen is characterised by its pale ochraceous thallus and sessile apothecia with dark brown discs, covered with thick white granular pruina.
Cratiria sorediata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Caliciaceae. It was first described as a new species in 2009. The type specimen was collected from Aldabra in the Seychelles.
Megalospora austropacifica is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Megalosporaceae. It is found on the islands of Taveuni and Viti Levu in Fiji. It has a yellowish grey to whitish grey, glossy thallus that is thick and may appear slightly wrinkled or smooth, often with irregular cracks and small papillae containing conidiomata, but lacking isidia and soredia. Its apothecia are circular, up to 4.5 mm in diameter, with the disc evolving from concave to slightly convex and coloured from orange-brown to red-brown, surrounded by a thick, prominent margin.
Megalospora galapagoensis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Megalosporaceae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. The lichen has a yellowish grey to whitish grey, glossy, and thick thallus that can grow up to 20 cm in diameter and has soredia evolving from coarse, corticated granules into confluent formations. Its apothecia are round, grey-black to black, and glossy.
Lecanactis malmideoides is a little-known species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. First described in 2018, it is found in Brazil. Characteristics of the lichen include its pruinosediscs, thin and glossy black margins, and ascospore structure.
Rinodina densisidiata is a little-known species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Physciaceae, first described in 2018. Found in Brazil, it is characterised its dense layer of cylindrical isidia and unique ascospore characteristics.
Rinodina maronisidiata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Physciaceae, first described in 2018. Found at high altitudes in the Venezuelan Andes, it is characterised by its unique isidia-covered thallus and specific ascospore morphology.
Malmidea albomarginata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela.
Malmidea allobakeri is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela.
Malmidea allopapillosa is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela.
Malmidea atlanticoides is a little-known species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Brazil.
Malmidea hernandeziana is a little-known species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela. The distinctive features of this species include a thallus with coralloid-like outgrowths, light-coloured fruiting bodies (ascomata) with a specialised structural layer, relatively large spores that tend to have slightly thickened walls at their ends, and the absence of specific lichen products typically found in other species of the genus. This combination of characteristics sets Malmidea hernandeziana apart from other species in the genus Malmidea.
Malmidea isidiifera is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Brazil and Venezuela.
Malmidea leucopiperis is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Brazil.
Malmidea subcinerea is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela. The lichen has a smooth, dull thallus varying in colour from grey to olive, with a white internal medulla. It has sessile, rounded apothecia with light beige to greyish-brown discs.
Malmidea volcaniana is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Malmideaceae. It is found in Venezuela. A major characteristic of the species is the coralloid (coral-shaped) clumps of isidia-like outgrowths on the thallus surface.
Byssoloma xanthonicum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Pilocarpaceae. It is found in New Caledonia.
Fellhanera ivoriensis is a species of foliicolous (leaf-dwelling) lichen. First described in 2001, this species is distinguished from its relatives in the Fellhanera by its soredia-covered thallus and the characteristics of its apothecia. It is native to the Ivory Coast in West Africa.