Peltigera rufescens

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Peltigera rufescens
Field Dog Lichen (3823910104).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Peltigerales
Family: Peltigeraceae
Genus: Peltigera
Species:
P. rufescens
Binomial name
Peltigera rufescens
(Weiss) Humb. (1793)
Synonyms [1]
List
  • Lichen caninus var. rufescensWeiss (1770)
  • Lichen rufescens(Weiss) Neck. (1771)
  • Peltidea canina var. rufescens(Weiss) Wahlenb. (1826)
  • Peltidea rufescens(Weiss) Ach. (1803)
  • Peltigera canina subsp. rufescens(Weiss) Lamy (1880)
  • Peltigera canina var. coriacea Kremp. (1861)
  • Peltigera canina var. rufescens(Weiss) Mudd (1861)

Peltigera rufescens, the field dog lichen or field pelt, is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. The common and widespread species has a cosmopolitan distribution. The lichen has a surface that is densely covered with a soft, velvety layer, extending from the edges to the centre. The edges of this lichen typically curl upwards, revealing lobes that can be up to 10 millimetres wide. Beneath, it possesses a network of rhizines, which are root-like structures that merge together into a thick mat, anchoring the lichen to its substrate .

Contents

Taxonomy

The lichen was first formally described as a variety of Lichen caninus in 1770 by Friedrich Wilhelm Weiss. [1] At that time, lichens were classified in the eponymous genus Lichen, based on the influence of Carl Linnaeus and his 1753 work Species Plantarum . [2] Alexander von Humboldt transferred the taxon to the genus Peltigera and promoted it to the status of species in 1793. [3] Vernacular names used for the species in North America include "field dog lichen" [4] and "field pelt". [5]

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Peltigera rufescens was published in 2021. It has 65,199 base pairs and a cytosine+guanine content of 26.7%. Molecular phylogenetic analysis suggests a close relationship with Peltigera membranacea . [6]

Description

Peltigera rufescens has a grey to brown coloured thallus that is often covered with a heavy tomentum (closely matted or fine hairs). [4] It forms rosettes up to 20 cm (8 in) in diameter. [7] The lobes comprising the thallus usually measure 5–10 millimetres (0.2–0.4 in) wide and have edges that are curled upwards. The undersurface of the thallus is strongly veined, dark in colour with a paler margin. Rhizines on the underside affix the lichen to its substrate; near the centre they are so dense so as to form an almost continuous mat. Fruit bodies, or apothecia, are common in this species. They are saddle shaped and dark red brown in colour. [4] Isidia and soredia are absent in this species. [5] The ascospores usually have between 3 and 5 septa and measure 40–70 by 3–5  μm. Conidiomata are sometimes produced by the lichen; the conidia are 7–10 by 2.5–4.5 μm. [7] The photobiont partner of Peltigera rufescens is cyanobacteria from the genus Nostoc . [8]

No lichen products are associated with Peltigera rufescens, and consequently, the expected results of standard lichen spot tests are all negative. [7]

If grown in a metal-polluted environment, Peltigera rufescens will have a reduction in thallus size and in rhizine length, as well as denser growth of the rhizines, veins that are more profusely branched, and an increase in volume of the medulla. [9] When treated with mercury, cadmium, or nickel, P. rufescens chlorophyll α and carotenoid concentrations will also decrease. [10] [11] As with other lichens, P. rufescens is a bioaccumulator of heavy metals. This may be due to the thallus having a large surface area in contact with the substrate. P. rufescens also has free amino acid concentrations higher than other lichens in similar polluted habitats, comparable to vascular plants, suggesting that this may play a role in heavy metal tolerance. [12]

Reproductive structures

In 1971, Marie-Agnès Letrouit-Galinou and R. Lallemant published a study on the thallus, apothecia, and asci of Peltigera rufescens, using histological techniques and microscopic examination. The thallus was described as having a "cladomian" structure, evolving from axial filaments that are lodged in the veins. These filaments give rise to both short ventral pleuridia (lateral branchlets) and well-developed dorsal ramifications. The formation of apothecia is initiated by a limited number of marginal dorsal pleuridia, leading to a primary thallus resembling those in the families Lecanoraceae and Graphidaceae, with a distinct development process marked by a lengthy angiocarpic stage (a phase in the development where the apothecium is initially formed as a closed structure, enclosing the asci and ascospores). The asci were identified as bitunicate and 'archaeasce', signifying a complex reproductive structure. Additionally, the research investigated the cladomian, multi-axial structure of the thallus in detail, comparing it to similar structures in algae and highlighting the differentiation between dorsal and ventral pleuridia, which contribute to the thallus's growth and structure. [13]

Closeup of lobe surface Peltigera T81.JPG
Closeup of lobe surface

Habitat and distribution

Peltigera rufescens is a common and widespread lichen with a cosmopolitan distribution. It is most often encountered in dry, sunny habitats. It prefers more or less basic soils. [7] It also grows on limestone and dolomite (rarely on silicate rocks) as well as nutrient-rich silicate soils, including diverse environments like calcareous grasslands and stone structures. [14] Individuals that grow in association with mosses tend to grow more robustly and have a higher amount of chlorophyll α then those that do not. [15] Not only does the moss provides a buffer against extremes in temperature variation, the moss-associated thalli have higher photosynthetic rates, and increased protection against desiccation. Additionally, their thalli are thicker, leading to enhanced water retention. Mosses that have been recorded associating with Peltigera rufescens include Racomitrium heterostichum , Campylopus introflexus , Hypnum cupressiforme , and Polytrichum juniperinum . [15] A study of the high-elevation biological soil crust associated with the volcanic tephra in Hawaii's Haleakalā Crater found that Peltigera rufescens was one of the two important components of this crust (the other was the moss Grimmia torquata ) and occurred in about a quarter of soil specimens sampled. [16]

Ecology

Preussia peltigerae , [17] Dinemasporium strigosum , Lichenopenicillus versicolor , Nectriopsis lecanodes , Norrlinia peltigericola , [18] and Scutula didymospora are lichenicolous fungi that use Peltigera rufescens as a host. In the case of Scutula didymospora, the relationship appears to be commensalistic, as the fungus, which develops on the underside of the thallus, does not cause any damage, discolouration or galls. [19]

In one experiment, to test the effect of thallus hydration on metabolic activity, the photosystem II fluorescence of Peltigera rufescens was monitored for a full year. The lichen was inactive for 46.5% of the time, active during daylight for 25.6%, and hydrated at night for 27.9% of the time. Its photosynthetic activity and moisture levels were correlated with environmental conditions, with four distinct activity patterns discerned. Despite previous experimental findings suggesting high light could be harmful when the lichen is hydrated, field observations found little evidence of damage, suggesting an unknown photoprotection mechanism possibly involving certain carotenoids. [20] In a study examining the effects of long-term UV-B radiation on lichen species, Peltigera rufescens, typically found in open meadow spaces, demonstrated increased hydrogen peroxide content and superoxide dismutase activity, indicating a possible adaptive response to oxidative stress caused by UV-B exposure. This lichen species displayed a higher resilience to UV-B compared to Peltigera aphthosa , suggesting a species-specific response to UV-B radiation that likely stems from their typical habitat's light conditions. [21]

Bioactivity

Laboratory experiments suggest that extracts of Peltigera rufescens have insecticidal activity against the maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais). [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lichen</span> Symbiosis of fungi with algae or cyanobacteria

Beginning in 1867, a lichen was understood as a symbiosis of an algae or cyanobacteria, living among filaments of multiple fungi species. In 2016, new research by T. Spribille et al. revealed a third partner, a yeast imbedded in the lichen cortex or "skin."

<i>Peltigera</i> Genus of lichenised fungi in the family Peltigeraceae

Peltigera is a genus of approximately 100 species of foliose lichens in the family Peltigeraceae. Commonly known as the dog or pelt lichens, species of Peltigera are often terricolous, but can also occur on moss, trees, rocks, and many other substrates in many parts of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peltigerales</span> Order of fungi

Peltigerales is an order of lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. The taxonomy of the group has seen numerous changes; it was formerly often treated as a suborder of the order Lecanorales. It contains two suborders, eight families and about 45 genera such as Lobaria and Peltigera.

<i>Peltigera aphthosa</i> Species of lichenised fungus in the family Peltigeraceae

Peltigera aphthosa is a species of lichen known by the common names green dog lichen, leafy lichen, felt lichen, and common freckle pelt. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring throughout the Arctic, boreal, and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Peltigera vainioi is a species of lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It is found in high-elevation locations in South America. It is a somewhat unusual species in its genus, characterized by a single holdfast that attaches to its substrate, and pores in its cortex.

<i>Cladonia arbuscula</i> Species of cup lichen

Cladonia arbuscula, also referred to as shrubby cup lichen or green reindeer lichen, is a species of cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae.

Peltigera shennongjiana is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. Found in Central China, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by Liu-Fu Han and Shou-Yu Guo. The type specimen was collected from Laojunshan Mountain in the Shennongjia Forestry District at an altitude of 900 m (3,000 ft); here it was found growing on mosses over rocks and soil. The species epithet refers to the type locality.

Peltigera wulingensis is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. Originally described from specimens found in northern China, it has since been recorded in Canada, Norway, and Russia.

<i>Solorina crocea</i> Species of lichen

Solorina crocea, commonly known as the orange chocolate chip lichen, is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling) and foliose (leafy) lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. The lichen, which was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, has an arctic–alpine and circumpolar distribution and occurs in Asia, Europe, North America, and New Zealand. It generally grows on the bare ground in sandy soils, often in moist soil near snow patches or seepage areas. Although several forms and varieties of the lichen have been proposed in its history, these are not considered to have any independent taxonomic significance.

<i>Crocodia</i> Genus of fungi

Crocodia is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Peltigeraceae. It has eight species. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, although most species occur in temperate and tropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere. The main characteristics of the genus that separate it from its parent genus, Pseudocyphellaria, include a yellow medulla and yellow pseudocyphellae on the lower thallus surface.

Peltigera fimbriata is a species of foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. Found in Papua New Guinea, it was formally described as a new species in 2009 by lichenologists Orvo Vitikainen, Emmanuël Sérusiaux, Bernard Goffinet, and Jolanta Miądlikowska. The type specimen was collected between Mt. Sarawaket Southern Range and Iloko village The species epithet fimbriata refers to the characteristic long hairs that occur on the upper thallus surface.

<i>Xanthoria aureola</i> Species of lichen-forming fungus

Xanthoria aureola, commonly known as the seaside sunburst lichen, is a lichenized species of fungus in the family Teloschistaceae and phylum Ascomycota. X. aureola can be recognized by its bright yellow-orange pigmentation and abundant strap-shaped lobes. It is usually found growing on exposed, nutrient-rich rocks in sunny, maritime habitats. It is largely restricted to European coasts, stretching from Portugal to Norway.

<i>Peltigera hydrophila</i> Species of lichen

Peltigera hydrophila is a species of foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. First described in 2020, it distinguishes itself through a distinct, hairless thallus that turns deep blue-violet when it becomes wet. Found primarily in the Magallanes Region of Chile, this small leafy lichen clings closely to mosses and other substrates. Distinctive features include the always-present reddish-brown to dark brown apothecia and the Peltigera-type ascospores that contain three internal partitions, or septa. Despite sharing a habitat with similar species like P. aubertii and P. frigida, P. hydrophila sets itself apart through its unique thallus surface texture and colour. This semi-aquatic lichen primarily thrives in humid forests, shrubby and herbaceous vegetation in southern Chile, particularly near waterfalls, streams, and other wet environments.

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.

<i>Anaptychia ciliaris</i> Species of lichen

Anaptychia ciliaris, commonly known as the great ciliated lichen or eagle's claws, is a species of fruticose lichen in the family Physciaceae. It is predominantly found in Northern Europe, with its range extending to European Russia, the Caucasus, Central and Southern Europe, the Canary Islands, and some parts of Asia. First mentioned in botanical literature by Italian botanist Fabio Colonna in 1606, the species was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, who highlighted its unique physical characteristics such as its grey colour, its unusual leafy form with linear fringe-like segments, and the presence of hair-like structures. This lichen is adaptable in its choice of substrates, mostly growing on tree barks, and less commonly on rocks.

Xanthocarpia erichansenii is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in southwest Greenland, where it grows on loess among mosses.

<i>Glaucomaria carpinea</i> Species of lichen

Glaucomaria carpinea is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Lecanoraceae. It is a widely distributed species.

<i>Gyalolechia fulgens</i> Species of lichen

Gyalolechia fulgens, the scrambled egg lichen, is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), squamulose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. The lichen comprises overlapping, slightly pruinose lemon-yellow scales with a lobed margin. It grows on highly calcareous substrates such as chalk, limestone and shell sand, often in association with the moss species Trichostomum crispulum.

<i>Baeomyces heteromorphus</i> Species of lichen

Baeomyces heteromorphus is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling) lichen in the family Baeomycetaceae. It has an Australasian distribution. Characteristics of the lichen include its greenish-grey thallus, the pink to brownish discs of its apothecia, translucent spores lacking internal partitions (septa), and the presence of the secondary metabolites norstictic acid and connorstictic acid.

References

  1. 1 2 "Synonymy: Peltigera rufescens (Weiss) Humb., Fl. Friberg. Spec. (Berlin): 2 (1793)". Species Fungorum . Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  2. ↑ Jørgensen, Per M. (1994). "Linnaean lichen names and their typification". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 115 (4): 261–405. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1994.tb01784.x.
  3. ↑ von Humboldt, A. (1793). Florae Fribergensis Specimen plantas cryptogamicas praesertim subterraneas exhibens (in Latin).
  4. 1 2 3 Brodo, Irwin M.; Sharnoff, Sylvia Duran; Sharnoff, Stephen (2001). Lichens of North America. Yale University Press. pp. 520–521. ISBN   978-0300082494.
  5. 1 2 McMullin, R. Troy (2023). Lichens. The Macrolichens of Ontario and the Great Lakes Region of the United States. Firefly Books. p. 361. ISBN   978-0-228-10369-1.
  6. ↑ Wang, Lidan; Mamut, Reyim (2021). "Mitochondrial genome from the lichenized fungus Peltigera rufescens (Weiss) Humb, 1793 (Ascomycota: Peltigeraceae)". Mitochondrial DNA Part B. 6 (8): 2186–2187. doi:10.1080/23802359.2021.1944374. PMC   8259810 . PMID   34263045.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Hitch, C.J.B; Fletcher, A.; James, P.W.; Purvis, O.W. (2009). "Peltiger". In Smith, C.W.; Aptroot, A.; Coppins, B.J.; Fletcher, A.; Gilbert, O.L.; James, P.W.; Wolseley, P.A. (eds.). The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland. London: British Lichen Society; Natural History Museum. pp. 309–338. ISBN   978-0-9540418-8-5.
  8. ↑ Jüriado, Inga; Kaasalainen, Ulla; Jylhä, Maarit; Rikkinen, Jouko (2019). "Relationships between mycobiont identity, photobiont specificity and ecological preferences in the lichen genus Peltigera (Ascomycota) in Estonia (northeastern Europe)". Fungal Ecology. 39: 45–54. doi:10.1016/j.funeco.2018.11.005. hdl: 10138/309419 .
  9. ↑ Goyal, R.; Seaward, M.R.D. (1982). "Metal uptake in terricolous lichens. ii. effects on the morphology of Peltigera canina and Peltigera rufescens". New Phytologist. 90 (1): 73–84. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1982.tb03243.x .
  10. ↑ Pisani, Tommaso; Munzi, Silvana; Paoli, Luca; Bačkor, Martin; Kováčik, Jozef; Piovár, Juraj; Loppi, Stefano (2011). "Physiological effects of mercury in the lichens Cladonia arbuscula subsp. mitis (Sandst.) Ruoss and Peltigera rufescens (Weiss) Humb". Chemosphere. 82 (7): 1030–1037. Bibcode:2011Chmsp..82.1030P. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.10.062. PMID   21094972.
  11. ↑ Bačkor, Martin; Kováčik, Jozef; Piovár, Juraj; Pisani, Tommaso; Loppi, Stefano (2010). "Physiological aspects of cadmium and nickel toxicity in the lichens Peltigera rufescens and Cladina arbuscula subsp. mitis". Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. 207 (1): 253–262. Bibcode:2010WASP..207..253B. doi:10.1007/s11270-009-0133-6.
  12. ↑ Bačkor, Martin; Klejdus, Bořivoj; Vantová, Ivana; Kováčik, Jozef (2009). "Physiological adaptations in the lichens Peltigera rufescens and Cladina arbuscula var. mitis, and the moss Racomitrium lanuginosum to copper-rich substrate". Chemosphere. 76 (10): 1340–1343. Bibcode:2009Chmsp..76.1340B. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.06.029. PMID   19595434.
  13. ↑ Letrouit-Galinou, Marie-Agnes; Lallemant, R. (1971). "Le thalle, les apotheces et les ascques du Peltigera rufescens (Weis) Humb. (Discolichen, Peltigeracée)" [The thallus, the apothecia, and the asci of Peltigera rufescens (Weis) Humb. (Discolichen, Peltigeraceae)]. The Lichenologist (in French). 5: 59–88. doi:10.1017/S0024282971000100.
  14. ↑ Wirth, Volkmar (1995). Die Flechten Baden-Württembergs (in German). Vol. 2. Stuttgart: Ulmer. pp. 689–691. ISBN   978-3800133253.
  15. 1 2 Colesie, Claudia; Scheu, Sarah; Green, T.G. Allan; Weber, Bettina; Wirth, Rainer; Büdel, Burkhard (2011). "The advantage of growing on moss: facilitative effects on photosynthetic performance and growth in the cyanobacterial lichen Peltigera rufescens". Oecologia. 169 (3): 599–607. doi:10.1007/s00442-011-2224-5. PMID   22183705.
  16. ↑ Pérez, Francisco L. (2020). "Growth of Grimmia mosses on volcanic tephra: Geoecological processes of biocrust development in Haleakalā crater (Maui, Hawai′i)". CATENA. 195: e104911. Bibcode:2020Caten.19504911P. doi:10.1016/j.catena.2020.104911.
  17. ↑ Diederich, Paul; Lawrey, James D.; Ertz, Damien (2018). "The 2018 classification and checklist of lichenicolous fungi, with 2000 non-lichenized, obligately lichenicolous taxa". The Bryologist. 121 (3): 340–425 (see p. 371). doi:10.1639/0007-2745-121.3.340.
  18. ↑ Etayo, J. (2017). Hongos liquenícolas de Ecuador (PDF). Opera Lilloana (in Spanish). Vol. 50. San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina: Fundación Miguel Lillo. pp. 152, 180, 253, 296, 321.
  19. ↑ Hawksworth, David L.; Miądlikowska, Jolanta (1997). "New species of lichenicolous fungi occurring on Peltigera in Ecuador and Europe". Mycological Research. 101 (9): 1127–1134. doi:10.1017/s0953756297003778.
  20. ↑ Lange, Otto L.; Leisner, Johanna M.R.; Bilger, Wolfgang (1999). "Chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of the cyanobacterial lichen Peltigera rufescens under field conditions". Flora. 194 (4): 413–430. doi:10.1016/s0367-2530(17)30932-5.
  21. ↑ Shelyakin, Mikhail A.; Silina, Ekaterina V.; Golovko, Tamara K. (2001). "The effect of UV-B radiation on the antioxidant system in the Peltigera aphthosa and Peltigera rufescens lichens". Journal of Siberian Federal University. Biology. 14 (3). Siberian Federal University: 328–338. doi: 10.17516/1997-1389-0359 .
  22. ↑ Yildirim, E.; Emsen, B.; Aslan, A.; Bulak, Y.; Ercisli, S. (2012). "Insecticidal activity of lichens against the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)". Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control. 22: 151–156.
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