Mawsonia (fungus)

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Mawsonia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lichinomycetes
Order: Lichinales
Family: Lichinaceae
Genus: Mawsonia
C.W.Dodge (1948)
Species:
M. harrissonii
Binomial name
Mawsonia harrissonii
C.W.Dodge (1948)

Mawsonia is a fungal genus in the family Lichinaceae. [1] [2] It is a monospecific genus, containing the single species Mawsonia harrissonii, a rare saxicolous, crustose lichen found in Antarctica.

Contents

Taxonomy

Both the genus and species were described by the American lichenologist Carroll William Dodge in 1948. [3] The type specimen was collected from Possession Rocks on the Queen Mary Coast. The species epithet honours the collector of the type, the British naturalist Charles Turnbull Harrisson, who was part of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911–1914) led by Sir Douglas Mawson. It is only known to occur at this location. [4] As of 2016, no molecular sequence data are available for this little-known species. [5]

Description

The lichen has a fruticulose thallus, that is, smaller than a regular fruticose (bushy) thallus. It is black and prostrate, comprising dark, radiating dichotomous branches up to 75  µm in diameter. The photobiont partner is from the green algal genus Trebouxia , with cells measuring 7–8 µm in diameter. Ascospores produced by the lichen are broadly ellipsoid in shape, and measure 8–9 by 5.5–6 µm. They are polaribilocular , [4] meaning they are divided into two components ( locules ) separated by a central septum with a perforation.

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<i>Pseudocyphellaria glabra</i> Species of lichen

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Protothelenella is a genus of fungi in the family Protothelenellaceae. It contains 11 species, some of which form lichens. Protothelenella species have a crustose thallus with spherical to pear-shaped, dark brown to blackish perithecia. Microscopic characteristics of the genus include bitunicate asci with an amyloid tholus, and ascospores that are colourless and contain multiple internal partitions. Some species grow on acidic substrates including rocks, soil, bryophytes, plant detritus or rotten wood. Other species are lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling), growing on species of Solorina, Peltigera, Pseudocyphellaria, or Cladonia.

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<i>Buellia frigida</i> Species of lichen

Buellia frigida is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Caliciaceae. It was first described from samples collected from the British National Antarctic Expedition of 1901–1904. It is endemic to maritime and continental Antarctica, where it is common and widespread, at altitudes up to about 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The characteristic appearance of this lichen features shades of grey and black divided into small polygonal patterns. The crusts can generally grow up to 7 cm in diameter, although neighbouring individuals may coalesce to form larger crusts. One of the defining characteristics of the lichen is a textured surface with deep cracks, creating the appearance of radiating lobes. These lobes, bordered by shallower fissures, give the lichen a distinctive appearance and textured surface.

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<i>Callome</i> Single-species lichen genus

Callome is a fungal genus in the family Collemataceae. It consists of the single species Callome multipartita, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen found in Northern Africa, Europe, and North America.

References

  1. "Mawsonia". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  2. Wijayawardene, N.N.; Hyde, K.D.; Dai, D.Q.; Sánchez-García, M.; Goto, B.T.; Saxena, R.K.; et al. (2022). "Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa – 2021". Mycosphere. 13 (1): 53–453 [180]. doi:10.5943/mycosphere/13/1/2. hdl: 1854/LU-8754813 .
  3. Dodge, C.W. (1948). "Lichens and lichen parasites". British Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition Scientific Reports. 7: 236.
  4. 1 2 Dodge, Carroll W. (1973). Lichen Flora of the Antarctic Continent and Adjacent Islands. Canaan, New Hampshire: Phoenix Publishing. p. 287. ISBN   978-0914016014.
  5. Lücking, Robert; Hodkinson, Brendan P.; Leavitt, Steven D. (2017). "The 2016 classification of lichenized fungi in the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota–Approaching one thousand genera". The Bryologist. 119 (4): 361–416. doi:10.1639/0007-2745-119.4.361. JSTOR   44250015.