| Metamelanea | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lichinomycetes |
| Order: | Lichinales |
| Family: | Lichinaceae |
| Genus: | Metamelanea Henssen (1989) |
| Type species | |
| Metamelanea umbonata Henssen (1989) | |
| Species | |
Metamelanea is a small genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Lichinaceae. [1] It consists of three species of rock-dwelling lichens. [2]
The genus was circumscribed by the German lichenologist Aino Henssen in 1989, with the newly described species M. umbonata assigned as the type, and a second included species, M. melambola . [3] A third species was added to the genus the following year. [4] The genus name alludes to the dark colouration of the thallus and fruiting bodies. [3]
The thallus of Metamelanea appears blackish and has a cracked, areolate texture, meaning it is divided into small, island-like segments called areoles . The thallus is composed of densely packed rows of lichenised colonies containing a single-celled cyanobacterium (blue-green alga) as the photobiont . These colonies are surrounded by fungal hyphae. As the thallus grows, it tends to break up into vertical lobes. The photobiont belongs to the order Chroococcales and is characterised by a distinctive brown gelatinous sheath, which contributes to the lichen's dark appearance. [3]
The apothecia (fruiting bodies) of Metamelanea are darkly pigmented and can be either immersed in the thallus or sitting on its surface (adnate). The appearance of the apothecia varies between species. In M. umbonata, the apothecia protrude above the thallus surface and have a distinctive umbonate (having a rounded elevation in the centre) or gyrose (convoluted or wavy) shape. When moistened, the discs of these apothecia appear strikingly black. In M. melambola, the apothecia remain immersed in the thallus and are difficult to observe when dry. Upon moistening, they become visible as flat, multidivided discs. These apothecia can grow quite large and may appear as clusters of smaller apothecia due to their divided nature. [3]
Unlike some other genera in the Lichinaceae, the apothecia in Metamelanea develop between the lobes rather than within them. This results in the absence of a true thalline margin (a rim of thalline tissue surrounding the apothecium), despite earlier descriptions suggesting otherwise. Pycnidia, which are asexual reproductive structures, have been observed in M. umbonata. These are immersed in the thallus and contain oblong cells that produce small, rod-like conidia (asexual spores) at their tips. [3]
Psora is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Psoraceae. Members of the genus are commonly called fishscale lichens. Lichens in the genus Psora generally have a squamulose thallus and anthraquinones in the hymenium. Photobiont partners of Psora lichens include members of the green algal genera Asterochloris, Chloroidium, Myrmecia, and Trebouxia.
Gloeoheppiaceae is a family of ascomycete fungi in the order Lichinales. The family contains ten species distributed amongst three genera. Most species are lichenised with cyanobacteria. Species in this family are mostly found in desert areas. Modern molecular phylogenetics analysis casts doubt on the phylogenetic validity of the family, suggesting a more appropriate placement of its species in the family Lichinaceae.
The Lichinaceae are a family of ascomycete fungi. Most species are lichenized with cyanobacteria, and have a distribution largely in temperate regions.
Diploschistes is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. Commonly known as crater lichens, members of the genus are crustose lichens with a thick, cracked (areolate) body (thallus) with worldwide distribution. The fruiting part (apothecia) are immersed in the thick thallus so as to have the appearance of being small "craters". The widespread genus contains about 43 species.
Xanthoparmelia is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. This genus of lichen is commonly found in the United States, as well as Australia, New Zealand and Ecuador.
Lichinodium is a genus of filamentous lichens. It is the only genus in the family Lichinodiaceae, itself the only member of the order Lichinodiales. Lichinodium has four species. Previously considered part of the class Lichinomycetes, molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that Lichinodium represents a unique lineage in the Leotiomycetes—the first known group of lichen-forming fungi in this class.
Stromatella bermudana is a saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen. It is the only species in Stromatella, a monotypic fungal genus in the family Lichinaceae. The genus was circumscribed in 1989 by German lichenologist Aino Henssen. This species was originally described as Psorotichia bermudana by US botanist Lincoln Ware Riddle in 1916, from specimens collected in Bermuda.
Zahlbrucknerella is a genus of filamentous, rock-dwelling lichens in the family Lichinaceae.
Thyrea is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Lichinaceae. It contains four species that have been accepted by Species Fungorum. The genus was circumscribed by Italian lichenologist Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo in 1856, with Thyrea plectospora assigned as the type species.
Megaspora is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megasporaceae. It contains four species of crustose lichens that typically grow on soil, bryophytes, or plant litter on chalky substrates.
Roccellinastrum is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Pilocarpaceae. It has seven species.
Harpidiaceae is a small family of lichen-forming fungi, containing two genera and five species. It is of uncertain classification in the Pezizomycotina.
Aspiciliopsis is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Trapeliaceae. It has two species, both of which occur in the Southern Hemisphere.
Upretia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has three species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens. Upretia is characterised by its small ascospores and narrow, rod-shaped conidia. The distribution of the genus ranges from mid-altitude rocky terrains in India to both arid and higher altitudinal environments in China.
Lempholemma polycarpum is a little-known species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) lichen in the family Lichinaceae. It was first described from Yemen and is characterised by its blackish thallus, abundant small apothecia, and cyanobacteria from the genus Nostoc as its photobiont. The lichen is found on inclined limestone boulders in sun-exposed habitats with open forest vegetation. It also occurs in Madagascar and in Aldabra.
The Pyrenotrichaceae are a small family of fungi in the order Chaetothyriales. It contains two genera, and a total of six species. The genus Pyrenothrix has two species of bark- or leaf-dwelling lichens, while Neophaeococcomyces has four species of saprobic fungi.
Pseudoheppia is a fungal genus in the family Lichinaceae. It contains a single species, Pseudoheppia schuleri, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling) squamulose lichen.
Leptogidium is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Pannariaceae. It has six species.
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.
Gloeoheppia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Gloeoheppiaceae. It comprises five species. The genus is distinguished from similar-looking lichens like Heppia by its internal structure, the nature of its photobiont, and details of its reproductive structures.