| Opeltiella fibrosoides | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Candelariomycetes |
| Order: | Candelariales |
| Family: | Candelariaceae |
| Genus: | Opeltiella |
| Species: | O. fibrosoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Opeltiella fibrosoides (M.Westb. & Frödén) S.Y.Kondr. (2020) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Opeltiella fibrosoides is a species of lichen-forming fungus in the family Candelariaceae. [2] It is known to occur only in a single location in Peru, where lichen thrives in a high-altitude environment, specifically on shrubs and cacti in an open pasture land. It was formally described as a new species by Swedish lichenologists Martin Westberg and Patrik Frödén in 2007, first as a member of the genus Candelaria . Although it bears a striking resemblance to C. fibrosa on the surface, it is differentiated by its eight-spored asci and a thallus featuring an ecorticate lower surface. [3] In 2020, Sergey Kondratyuk transferred the taxon to the newly circumscribed genus Opeltiella , following molecular phylogenetic-based analysis of the family Candelariaceae. [4]
