Parmelia squarrosa

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Parmelia squarrosa
Parmelia squarrosa (4752770746).jpg
on young Liriodendron trunk in open regenerating forest
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Parmeliaceae
Genus: Parmelia
Species:
P. squarrosa
Binomial name
Parmelia squarrosa
Hale (1971)

Parmelia squarrosa, commonly known as the bottlebrush shield lichen, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It occurs in east Asia, Europe, and eastern North America, where it typically grows on tree bark, much less frequently on rocks, and rarely on moss. Because of its abundance, widespread distribution, and stable populations, it has been assessed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Parmelia saxatilis is quite similar in appearance Parmelia squarrosa and the latter was quite often confused with the former, especially in herbarium collections. Molecular phylogenetic analysis proved the genetic distinctness between the two species, which are morphologically distinguished by difference in rhizine structure.

Contents

Taxonomy

The lichen was described as a new species in 1971 by American mycologist Mason Hale. The type specimen was collected by Hale in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA, at an altitude of 900 m (3,000 ft); there it was found growing on white oak (Quercus alba). In terms of important morphological characteristics of the lichen, and its main distinguishing feature from the similar Parmelia saxatilis ), Hale emphasized the squarrose (with many short, more or less perpendicular lateral branches) structure of the rhizines. This feature is referenced in the species epithet squarrosa. [2] In North America, it is known colloquially as the bottlebrush shield lichen. [3]

Phylogenetically, Parmelia squarrosa groups together in a clade with P. sulcata and P. fertilis . These early (2004) molecular phylogenetic results demonstrated P. squarrosa to be clearly genetically distinct from P. saxatilis. [4]

Description

The thallus is adnate to loosely adnate on trees, less commonly on rocks, rarely on moss. It is greenish to whitish mineral grey, with divaricate, contiguous, or imbricate lobes measuring 1–5 mm wide. Upper surface is flat to pitted (foveolate) with laminal and marginal pseudocyphellae often forming a reticulate network; the isidia are cylindrical, measuring up to 0.5 mm tall and becoming dense in the older, central part of the thallus. Rhizines are squarrosely branched (simple at the lobe margins). Pycnidia and apothecia are uncommon; ascospores measure 13–15 by 8–9  μm.

The lichen contains the secondary compounds atranorin, salazinic acid and consalazinic acid. The expected results of standard chemical spot tests are cortex: K+ (yellow), and medulla: K+ (yellow changing to red), C−, PD+ (orange). [2]

Distribution

Parmelia squarrosa is distributed widely in North America, primarily in the eastern region including the Great Lakes-Appalachian area, as well as in western North America. Its distribution is more temperate and southern compared to P. saxatilis, with its range extending south to Arkansas, Alabama, and South Carolina. However, in some areas such as the Great Lakes through New York and New England to Quebec and Newfoundland, it overlaps with P. saxatilis. P. squarrosa also has a wider distribution in the southern Appalachians, extending to the lower foothills, unlike P. saxatilis and P. sulcata which are restricted to high mountain habitats.

In 1985, Parmelia squarrosa was recorded in the western Austrian Alps and southern Switzerland for the first time, growing on rock. It is also widespread in eastern Asia, with reports of its occurrence in Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea, the Russian Far East, and Nepal. The lichen thrives in humid forests, particularly those near coastal areas, and has been observed growing on a variety of trees, including coniferous and deciduous species. [5]

Similar species

Parmelia saxatilis Parmelia saxatilis a1 (1).JPG
Parmelia saxatilis

The distinction between the Parmelia squarrosa and P. saxatilis is typically drawn based on an examination of their respective rhizines. P. squarrosa is known for its squarrosely branched rhizines, a feature that sets it apart from P. saxatilis. Nonetheless, to identify specimens that are either small in size or not fully developed, it may be necessary to scrape the lower surface using a scalpel or razor blade. This will allow the removal of the rhizines, which can subsequently be scrutinised on a white paper surface for better clarity. Squarrose rhizines, characterised by secondary branches that sprout at right angles to the main stem, might only be discernible near the axils of the terminal lobes in squarrose species. In contrast, furcate rhizines found in parmelioid lichens have secondary branches that spring out at an angle from the main stem. [4]

Conservation & research

In 2021, Parmelia squarrosa was assessed for the global IUCN Red List. Because the lichen is common, abundant, and widely distributed with a stable population size, it is considered a least-concern species. [1]

In one transplantation study (i.e. moving lichens to different areas and following their subsequent growth), transplanting lichen-bearing bark discs of Parmelia squarrosa from an unpolluted area into a polluted area near a copper smelter in Quebec resulted in changes in colour, detachment from the substrate, cracks, a reduction in isidia, biomass values, and chlorophyll over 4 and 12 months of exposure. The closer the transplantation was to the smelter, the more severe the changes became. [6]

Related Research Articles

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

Parmelia is a genus of medium to large foliose 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>Esslingeriana</i> Single-species genus of lichen

Esslingeriana is a fungal genus in the family Parmeliaceae. The genus is monotypic, containing the single foliose lichen species Esslingeriana idahoensis, commonly known as the tinted rag lichen. It is found in northwestern North America.

Parmelia asiatica is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It occurs in China and the Russian Far East, where it grows on Rhododendron tree trunks in temperate regions. It was Described as new to science in 2011 by lichenologists Ana Crespo and Pradeep Divakar. The species is distinguished by its terminal soralia, marginal linear pseudocyphellae, and chemical composition, which includes the substances atranorin and salazinic acid. Parmelia asiatica is similar to Parmelia protosulcata but differs in the presence of salazinic acid and its distribution in Southeast Asia.

<i>Xanthoparmelia conspersa</i> Species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae

Xanthoparmelia conspersa, commonly known as the peppered rock-shield, is a foliose lichen and the type species of genus Xanthoparmelia. It is widely distributed in temperate zones, and has been recorded from Japan, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America.

<i>Xanthoparmelia mexicana</i> Species of foliose lichen

Xanthoparmelia mexicana, commonly known as the salted rock-shield, is a foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It grows in 4–10 cm diameter rosettes of gray-green to yellow-green lobes in arid climates all over the world.

<i>Parmelia saxatilis</i> Species of fungus

Parmelia saxatilis, commonly known as the salted shield lichen or crottle, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. Several morphologically similar species, formerly lumped together, are now distinguished by their DNA.

<i>Parmotrema arnoldii</i> Species of lichen

Parmotrema arnoldii, commonly known as the powdered ruffle lichen, is a widely distributed species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It has been recorded from Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, Macaronesia, and North and South America.

<i>Notoparmelia</i> Genus of lichens

Notoparmelia is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. It includes 18 species that grow on bark and rocks, and are mostly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The genus was created in 2014 as a segregate of Parmelia.

<i>Xanthoparmelia lineola</i> Species of foliose lichen

Xanthoparmelia lineola, commonly known as the tight rock-shield, is a foliose lichen species in the genus Xanthoparmelia. It is a common species with a temperate distribution. Found in North America and South Africa, it grows on rocks.

Bulbothrix meizospora is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is found in Africa, Asia, and South America, where it grows on tree bark.

<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>Punctelia rudecta</i> Species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae

Punctelia rudecta, commonly known as the rough speckled shield or the speckleback lichen, is a North American species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. This species can be readily identified by the light color of the thallus underside, the relatively large lobes at the edges of the thallus, and the tiny white pores present on the top of the thallus that are characteristic of the genus Punctelia. The lichen is quite abundant and widespread in the eastern and southeastern United States, although it also occurs in Canada and northern Mexico, but is less common in these regions. The lichen usually grows on bark, and less commonly on shaded rocks. There are several lookalike Punctelia species; these can often be distinguished from P. rudecta by differences in distribution or in the nature of the reproductive structures present on the thallus.

<i>Punctelia bolliana</i> Species of lichen

Punctelia bolliana, the eastern speckled shield lichen, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is found in North America, with a distribution extending from the Canadian province of Ontario south to the central and northeastern United States and Mexico. It grows on the bark of both deciduous trees and coniferous trees. The combination of characteristics that distinguishes this species from others in genus Punctelia are the absence of the vegetative propagules isidia and soralia, a pale brown lower thallus surface, and the presence of the secondary chemical protolichesterinic acid in the medulla.

<i>Punctelia graminicola</i> Species of lichen

Punctelia graminicola is a species of foliose (leafy) lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It grows on rocks, and, less frequently, on bark in North America, South America, and East Africa. It has a blue-grey thallus measuring up to about 15 cm (6 in), covered with tiny pores called pseudocyphellae. Sometimes the lichen forms small lobes that project out from the surface. Fruiting bodies are uncommon in this species; if present, they resemble small cups with a brown internal disc measuring 3–10 mm (0.1–0.4 in) in diameter. A lookalike species, Punctelia hypoleucites, is not readily distinguishable from Punctelia graminicola by appearance or habitat alone; these species can only be reliably differentiated by examining the length of their conidia.

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

Parmelia ernstiae is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It occurs in Europe.

Parmelia mayi is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is found in the northern Appalachian Mountains of eastern North America, where it grows on rocks and on the trunks of paper birch and balsam fir. Parmelia mayi is morphologically indistinguishable from Parmelia saxatilis, but is distinct in its distribution, chemistry, and genetics.

<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.

<i>Hypotrachyna osseoalba</i> Species of lichen

Hypotrachyna osseoalba, commonly known as the grainy loop lichen, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is widely distributed in subtropical and temperate areas of the world. Characteristic features of the lichen include the pustules in its cortex, the somewhat linear shape of the lobes comprising the thallus, and the branched rhizines.

Parmelia rojoi is a species of foliose (leafy), saxicolous (rock-dwelling) lichen in the large family Parmeliaceae. It is known to occur in a couple of humid forests in southern Spain. It is quite similar in appearance to the more widespread Parmelia saxatilis, but has a more fragile thallus and smaller isidia.

References

  1. 1 2 Yahr, R.; Allen, J.; Lymbery, C.; Batallas-Molina, R.; Dal Forno, M.; Howe, N.; Lendemer, J.; McMullin, T.; Mertens, A.; Petix, M.; Reese Næsborg, R.; Roberts, F.; Sharrett, S.; Villella, J. (25 May 2021). "Bottle Brush Shield Lichen". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 25 May 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 Hale, M.E. (1971). "Parmelia squarrosa, a new species in section Parmelia". Phytologia. 22 (1): 29.
  3. ↑ Brodo, Irwin M.; Sharnoff, Sylvia Duran; Sharnoff, Stephen (2001). Lichens of North America. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. p. 484. ISBN   0-300-08249-5.
  4. 1 2 Molina, María del Carmen; Crespo, Ana; Blanco, Oscar; Lumbsch, H. Thorsten; Hawksworth, David L. (2004). "Phylogenetic relationships and species concepts in Parmelia s. str. (Parmeliaceae) inferred from nuclear ITS rDNA and β-tubulin sequences". The Lichenologist. 36 (1): 37–54. doi:10.1017/s0024282904013933. S2CID   17306781.
  5. ↑ Hyvönen, S. (1985). "Parmelia squarrosa, a lichen new to Europe". The Lichenologist. 17 (3): 311–314. doi:10.1017/S0024282985000457. S2CID   85614047.
  6. ↑ LeBlanc, F.; Robitaille, G.; Rao, D.N. (1976). "Ecophysiological response of lichen transplants to air pollution in the Murdochville Gaspe Copper Mines area, Quebec". The Journal of the Hattori Botanical Laboratory. 40: 27–40.
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