Melanelixia albertana

Last updated

Melanelixia albertana
Melanelixia albertana 97447.jpg
near the Dunevan crossing in Alberta, Canada
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Parmeliaceae
Genus: Melanelixia
Species:
M. albertana
Binomial name
Melanelixia albertana
(Ahti) O.Blanco, A.Crespo, Divakar, Essl., D.Hawksw. & Lumbsch (2004)
Synonyms [1]
  • Parmelia albertanaAhti (1969)
  • Melanelia albertana(Ahti) Essl. (1978)

Melanelixia albertana is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. [2] First described in 1969 from collections made in Alberta, Canada, it has undergone two taxonomic reclassifications before ultimately being placed in the genus Melanelixia in 2004. The species is characterised by the soralia on the margins of its lobes , a feature that is rare in brown parmelioid lichens. This feature is reflected in its common name, powder-rimmed camouflage lichen. Melanelixia albertana has an unusual Asian-North American disjunct distribution. The widespread presence of Melanelixia albertana across different regions is attributed to the similar climatic and vegetative conditions found in the northern parts of the interior prairies in North America, as well as in the forest steppe and ultracontinental taiga forests of northern Mongolia, Transbaikal, and Yakutia. It occurs in river valley and ravine systems, as well as aspen parkland.

Contents

Taxonomy

It was first described as a new species in 1969 by the Finnish lichenologist Teuvo Ahti, who classified it in the genus Parmelia . The type specimen was collected by Ahti on the southwest tip of Alberta's Big Lake, where it was found in a poplar forest growing on Populus balsamifera . [3] In 1978, Ted Esslinger reclassified the taxon, transferring it to the genus Melanelia as part of his reorganization of the brown parmelioid species. [4] The taxon was finally transferred to genus Melanelixia in 2004, after molecular phylogenetics analysis showed that Melanelia was not monophyletic, instead falling into four different clades. [5]

Melanelixia albertana was part of a 2016 phylogenetic analysis that investigated evolutionary relationships within the Melanohalea clade. This study, which included complete concatenated alignments of internal transcribed spacer and mitochondrial small subunit DNA sequences, revealed that Melanelixia albertana forms a monophyletic group within the genus Melanelixia, albeit with moderate bootstrap support (53%). The analysis also uncovered that the clade 'Melanelixia albertana' includes specimens identified as multiple nominal taxa from various regions, such as M. villosella from China, M. glabra from China and northern India, and two specimens from the Russian Far East. [6]

The species-level clade named 'M. albertana' comprised specimens morphologically similar to M. albertana, including samples from the northern Great Plains of North America, China, Russia, and India. These findings indicate that Melanelixia albertana is a polymorphic species with a broad geographic distribution that includes high-elevation sites in Asia (China, India, and Russia) and lower elevation sites in North America. The study suggests that additional molecular sequence data are necessary to confirm species boundaries and propose formal taxonomic changes for the group. [6]

The marginal soralia of Melanelixia albertana are a characteristic feature of this species, and otherwise rare in brown parmelioid lichens. This prominent character is reflected in its common name, the "powder-rimmed camouflage lichen". [7]

Description

Melanelixia albertana from Altai Territory, Russia; scale bar = 5 mm Melanelixia albertana.png
Melanelixia albertana from Altai Territory, Russia; scale bar = 5 mm

Melanelixia albertana loosely attaches to tree bark, forming a thallus (lichen body) that is 4–10 cm (1.6–3.9 in) wide. The colour of the thallus surface ranges from dark greenish-brown [3] to red-brown. [7] The lobes are rounded at the tips, 3–4 mm wide, and have irregular, crenulate (scalloped) edges with ascending sorediate lobes (lobes covered with powdery reproductive propagules). The upper surface is typically wrinkled, dull to somewhat shiny near the lobe ends, and lacks pseudocyphellae (tiny pores). [3]

The lower surface is black with a smooth brown marginal rim, and features rhizines (root-like structures) that are the same colour. Soralia (clusters of soredia) are numerous, labriform (lip-shaped), and contain coarsely granular soredia that are partly white and partly dark brown. The lobes are 180–240  μm thick, with an upper cortex (outer layer) of 5–15 μm, an algal layer of 45–60 μm, a medulla (middle layer) of 120–150 μm, and a lower cortex of 10–15 μm. [3]

Apothecia (fruiting bodies) and pycnidia (asexual reproductive structures) have not been observed to occur in this species. Chemical spot tests show that the medulla reacts C+ (red) and contains lecanoric acid. [3]

Habitat and distribution

Melanelixia albertana is an epiphyte that grows in river valley and ravine systems, as well as aspen parkland. It occasionally appears in boreal regions, particularly in mature mixed to deciduous forests. [8] Favoured tree species in North America include deciduous trees and shrubs, particularly Salix and Populus. [9] In Mongolia, it favours the native Siberian elm ( Ulmus pumila ) and the shrub Spiraea aquilegifolia . [10] [11]

The global distribution of Melanelixia albertana mirrors the climatic and vegetative similarities between the northern edge of the interior prairies of North America and the forest steppe and ultracontinental taiga forests found in northern Mongolia, Transbaikal, and Yakutia. [10] The particular distribution type of this lichen has been called the "Interior Eurasian-interior North American" distribution, defined as "continental species of the arid inner parts of continents in vicinity to steppes or not". [12]

In addition to its namesake Alberta, the lichen has also been recorded in the southern parts of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. [3] It is rare in Ontario, with a local distribution limited largely to the Rainy River district. [13] In the United States, it has been found in Minnesota [3] and Arizona. [14] In extreme northwestern Ontario, Melanelixia albertana reaches its eastern distributional limit, where a warmer and drier climate prevails, shaped by the dry air masses from the prairies, distinguishing it from the cooler and more humid regions to the east in northern Ontario. [9]

In Russia, M. albertana occurs in the Baikal area, the Altai Mountains, and the Caucasus. [15] [16] It was added to the Red Data Book of the Altai Territory in 2016. [17] M. albertana was found in Mongolia's northeastern Khentii Province at about 1,100 m (3,600 ft) elevation. [10] In the 2010s, its known range was further expanded when the lichen was recorded from Sichuan, China, at an elevation of 2,700 m (8,900 ft), [18] and also from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. [19]

Related Research Articles

<i>Parmelia</i> (fungus) Genus of lichens

Parmelia is a genus of medium to large foliose (leafy) lichens. It has a global distribution, extending from the Arctic to the Antarctic continent but concentrated in temperate regions. There are about 40 species in Parmelia. In recent decades, the once large genus Parmelia has been divided into a number of smaller genera according to thallus morphology and phylogenetic relatedness.

<i>Parmelia sulcata</i> Species of lichen

Parmelia sulcata, commonly known as the hammered shield lichen or cracked-shield lichen, is a foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. First described by Thomas Taylor in 1836, it is one of the most prevalent lichen species globally, known for its resilience to pollution and cosmopolitan distribution across temperate and cold regions of both hemispheres. P. sulcata forms a circular thallus up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter, with a glaucous white to grey upper surface and a black lower surface, featuring broadly lobed structures with both marginal and laminal soralia and a distinctive reticulate pattern of pseudocyphellae.

<i>Melanohalea</i> Genus of lichen

Melanohalea is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. It contains 30 mostly Northern Hemisphere species that grow on bark or on wood. The genus is characterised by the presence of pseudocyphellae, usually on warts or on the tips of isidia, a non-pored epicortex and a medulla containing depsidones or lacking secondary metabolites. Melanohalea was circumscribed in 2004 as a segregate of the morphologically similar genus Melanelia, which was created in 1978 for certain brown Parmelia species. The methods used to estimate the evolutionary history of Melanohalea suggest that its diversification primarily occurred during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs.

<i>Melanelixia</i> Genus of fungi

Melanelixia is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. It contains 15 Northern Hemisphere species that grow on bark or on wood. The genus is characterized by a pored or fenestrate epicortex, and the production of lecanoric acid as the primary chemical constituent of the medulla. Melanelixia was circumscribed in 2004 as a segregate of the related genus Melanelia.

<i>Parmotrema</i> Genus of fungi

Parmotrema is a genus of lichen belonging to the family Parmeliaceae. It is a large genus, containing an estimated 300 species, with a centre of diversity in subtropical regions of South America and the Pacific Islands.

Parmelia asiatica is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It was described as new to science in 2011 by lichenologists Ana Crespo and Pradeep Divakar, based on specimens from Yunnan, China. Since then, its known distribution has expanded to include various regions of Russia, parts of North America, and as of 2024, European Russia. The species is found in the forests of temperate and boreal climates, growing on the bark of various tree species. Parmelia asiatica is distinguished by its small thallus with narrow, more or less linear lobes, soralia that appear at the ends of the lobes, marginal linear pseudocyphellae, and a chemical composition that includes atranorin, salazinic acid, and consalazinic acid. While similar to other Parmelia species, it can be differentiated from them by its morphological and chemical characteristics.

Emodomelanelia is a lichen genus in the family Parmeliaceae. It is monotypic, containing the single foliose Himalayan species Emodomelanelia masonii.

Austromelanelixia is a genus of five species of foliose lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. All species are found in the Southern Hemisphere.

Melanohalea ushuaiensis is a species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It was first formally described in 1917 by Alexander Zahlbruckner as Parmelia ushuaiensis. Ted Esslinger transferred to the new genus Melanelia in 1978, which he circumscribed to contain the brown parmeliae species. In 2004, it was moved to the newly created genus Melanohalea. It is endemic to South America.

Melanohalea trabeculata is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It was first formally described by Finnish lichenologist Teuvo Ahti in 1966 as Parmelia trabeculata. Ted Esslinger transferred the species to the new genus Melanelia in 1978, which he circumscribed to contain the brown parmeliae species. In 2004, it was moved to the newly circumscribed genus Melanohalea.

Melanohalea subverruculifera is a species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. Found in China, it was first formally described as a new species in 1980 as Parmelia subverruculifera. It was transferred to the segregate genus Melanelia in 1991, and then to the genus Melanohalea in 2004.

<i>Melanohalea subolivacea</i> Species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae

Melanohalea subolivacea, commonly known as the brown-eyed camouflage lichen, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.

<i>Melanohalea subelegantula</i> Species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae

Melanohalea subelegantula is a species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is found in North America, where it grows on bark and wood. The lichen was first formally described as Parmelia subelegantula by Ted Esslinger in 1977. A year later he transferred it to the segregate genus Melanelia. In 2004, it was moved to the newly circumscribed genus Melanohalea. Named for its resemblance to Melanohalea elegantula, it can be distinguished from that species by its slightly flattened, but not hollow, isidia.

<i>Melanohalea elegantula</i> Species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae

Melanohalea elegantula, commonly known as the elegant camouflage lichen, is a species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It was first described by Alexander Zahlbruckner in 1894 as Parmelia aspidota var. elegantula. Hungarian lichenologist Ödön Szatala promoted it to full species status, as Parmelia elegantula, in 1930. Ted Esslinger transferred it to the genus Melanelia in 1978. Finally, it was assigned to the newly circumscribed genus Melanohalea in 2004.

Pleurosticta koflerae is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is a member of the group of species informally known as the "brown Parmeliae". The lichen was first formally described as Parmelia koflerae by lichenologists Georges Clauzade and Josef Poelt in 1961. Theodore Esslinger transferred it to the genus Melanelia in 1978 when he reorganized the classification of the brown Parmeliae, a continuation of his research on the group published the year before. It was finally transferred to the newly resurrected genus Pleurosticta in 1988 by H. Thorsten Lumbsch and John A. Elix.

<i>Parmelia barrenoae</i> Species of lichen

Parmelia barrenoae is a species of foliose lichen in the large family Parmeliaceae. It was formally described as a new species in 2005. Before this, it was lumped together as one of several lichens in the Parmelia sulcata group—a species complex of genetically distinct lookalikes. Parmelia barrenoae is widely distributed, occurring in Europe, western North America, Africa, and Asia.

<i>Parmelia fraudans</i> Species of lichen

Parmelia fraudans is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is found in Europe and North America, where it grows on rocks.

Melanelixia ahtii is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. Found in the United States, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by Theodore Lee Esslinger, Ana Crespo, Helge Thorsten Lumbsch, Pradeep Kumar Divakar, and Steven Leavitt. The type specimen was collected from the north side of the Columbia River Gorge. Here, at an elevation of 75 m (246 ft) above sea level, it was found in a mixed oak-ponderosa pine forest, growing as an epiphyte on an oak. The species is known from DNA-verified collections in four western US states: California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The species epithet ahtii honours Finnish lichenologist Teuvo Ahti, "for his contributions to understanding diversity in brown parmelioid lichens".

<i>Melanelia hepatizon</i> Species of lichen

Melanelia hepatizon, commonly known as the rimmed camouflage lichen or the rimmed brown-shield, is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. Its thallus, ranging in colour from brown to black, features narrow, elongated lobes that can be flat, convex, or concave. This lichen has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in Asia, Europe, North America, Iceland, and Greenland.

<i>Melanohalea exasperatula</i> Species of lichen

Melanohalea exasperatula, commonly known as the lustrous camouflage lichen or lustrous brown-shield, is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It has a widespread global distribution and is common in both Europe and northern North America. Its thallus can grow up to 5 cm (2 in) in diameter, with marginal lobes up to 5 mm broad. The upper surface is pale olive-green to red-brown, with isidia that are unbranched, inflated, and hollow. It can be distinguished from similar species by the shape and structure of these isidia. The lower surface of the thallus is pale tan to pale brown with scattered, pale rhizines. Apothecia are uncommon, while pycnidia and secondary metabolites have not been observed in this species. The lack of defensive chemicals makes it vulnerable to grazing by slugs and snails. The evolutionary history of Melanohalea exasperatula is linked to major climatic events during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs.

References

  1. ↑ "GSD Species Synonymy. Current Name: Melanelixia albertana (Ahti) O. Blanco, A. Crespo, Divakar, Essl., D. Hawksw. & Lumbsch, Mycol. Res. 108(8): 881 (2004)". Species Fungorum . Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  2. ↑ "Melanelixia albertana (Ahti) O. Blanco, A. Crespo, Divakar, Essl., D. Hawksw. & Lumbsch". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ahti, Teuvo (1969). "Notes on brown species of Parmelia in North America". The Bryologist. 72 (2): 233–239. doi:10.2307/3241674. JSTOR   3241674.
  4. ↑ Esslinger, T.L. (1978). "A new status for brown Parmeliae". Mycotaxon. 7 (1): 45–54.
  5. ↑ Blanco, Oscar; Crespo, Ana; Divakar, Pradeep K.; Esslinger, Theodore L.; Hawksworth, David L.; Lumbsch, H. Thorsten (2004). "Melanelixia and Melanohalea, two new genera segregated from Melanelia (Parmeliaceae) based on molecular and morphological data" (PDF). Mycological Research. 108 (8): 873–884. doi:10.1017/S0953756204000723. PMID   15449592.
  6. 1 2 Leavitt, Steven D.; Esslinger, Theodore L.; Divakar, Pradeep K.; Crespo, Ana; Lumbsch, H. Thorsten (2016). "Hidden diversity before our eyes: Delimiting and describing cryptic lichen-forming fungal species in camouflage lichens (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota)". Fungal Biology. 120 (11): 1374–1391. Bibcode:2016FunB..120.1374L. doi: 10.1016/j.funbio.2016.06.001 . PMID   27742095.
  7. 1 2 Brodo, Irwin M.; Sharnoff, Sylvia Duran; Sharnoff, Stephen (2001). Lichens of North America. Yale University Press. pp. 431–432. ISBN   978-0-300-08249-4.
  8. ↑ Haughland, Diane; Hood, Alessandra; Thauvette, Darcy; Toni, Sydney A.; Cao, Ming; Birch, Joseph D.; Wasyliw, Joshua; Laura, Hjartarson; Villeneuve, Mary; Stordock, Arynn; Fielder, David A.; Lewis, Megan; Evans, David; Royko, Dominik; Bolduc, Rashell; Webster, Hayley; Singh, Jeremy D.; Schafer, Kristen A.; Goyette, Spencer; Davidson, Hanna E.; Shier, Catherine (2022). "Getting to know our biomonitor neighbours: urban lichens and allied fungi of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada" (PDF). Opuscula Philolichenum. 21: 108. doi:10.5962/p.388282.
  9. 1 2 Brinkler, Samuel R. (2020). "Contributions to the Ontario flora of lichens and allied fungi, with emphasis on the Great Lakes Basin". Opuscula Philolichenum. 19: 122–123.
  10. 1 2 3 Hauck, Markus; Javkhlan, Samjaa (2006). "Additions to the lichen flora of Mongolia: records from Khentey and Khangay". Willdenowia. 36 (2): 895–912. doi:10.3372/wi.36.36221.
  11. ↑ Hauck, Markue; Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Mühlenberg, Michael (2007). "Lichen diversity on steppe slopes in the northern Mongolian mountain taiga and its dependence on microclimate". Flora. 2002 (7): 530–546. Bibcode:2007FMDFE.202..530H. doi:10.1016/j.flora.2006.11.003.
  12. ↑ Hauck, Markus (2011). "Site factors controlling epiphytic lichen abundance in northern coniferous forests". Flora. 206 (2): 81–90. Bibcode:2011FMDFE.206...81H. doi:10.1016/j.flora.2010.02.001.
  13. ↑ McMullin, R. Troy (2023). Lichens. The Macrolichens of Ontario and the Great Lakes Region of the United States. Firefly Books. p. 282. ISBN   978-0-228-10369-1.
  14. ↑ Bates, Scott; Barber, Anne; Nash III, Thomas H. "A revised catalog of Arizona lichens" (PDF). Canotia. 6 (1): 26–43 [35].
  15. ↑ Urbanavichene, I.N.; Urbanavichus, G.P. (1998). "Melanelia albertana (Lichenes) A new for Russia species from the southern Baikal region". Botanicheskii Zhurnal. 83 (1): 130–131.
  16. ↑ Urbanavichus, G.P.; Urbanavichene, I.N. (2020). "Lichen species proposed for inclusion in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Ingushetia". Botanical Bulletin of the North Caucasus. 2: 57−64. doi:10.33580/2409-2444-2020-6-2-57-64.
  17. ↑ Davydov, Evgeny A.; Kosachev, Petr; Golyakov, Pavel; Zalutsky, Timofei; Svirin, Egor; Kudrov, Oleg; Pavlova, Polina; Storozhenko, Yulia; Yakovchenko, Lidia; Yakovlev, Roman (2023). "New and noteworthy records of plants, lichens and Lepidoptera in Altai Territory and Republic of Altai (Southern Siberia)". Acta Biologica Sibirica. 9: 243–264. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.7865738 .
  18. ↑ Du, Yuan-Da; Meng, Fan-Ge; Li, Hong-Mei; Wang, Hai-Ying; Zhao, Sun-Tian (2010). "Three new records of brown parmelioid lichens from the Tibetan Plateau". Mycotaxon. 111 (1): 283–286. doi: 10.5248/111.283 .
  19. ↑ Tumur, Anwar; Abbas, Abdulla (2017). "The lichens of the Tomur Peak National Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China, including a checklist". Evansia. 34 (2): 65–72 [70]. doi:10.1639/0747-9859-34.2.65.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.