| Phaeographis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Phaeographis dendritica in Portugal | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Graphidales |
| Family: | Graphidaceae |
| Genus: | Phaeographis Müll.Arg. (1882) |
| Type species | |
| Phaeographis dendritica (Ach.) Müll.Arg. (1882) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
List
| |
Phaeographis is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. It has an estimated 180 species. [2]
The genus Phaeographis was circumscribed by the Swiss lichenologist Johannes Müller Argoviensis in 1882. [3] However, its taxonomic status was uncertain for many years due to the existence of several earlier generic names that potentially had priority.
In 2007, Robert Lücking and colleagues proposed to conserve the name Phaeographis against six earlier names: Creographa, Ectographis, Flegographa, Hymenodecton, Platygramma, and Pyrographa. [3] They also proposed to conserve Phaeographis dendritica as the type species. This proposal was made to maintain nomenclatural stability, as Phaeographis had become a widely used name representing about 150 species. [3]
The proposal was based on a revised generic concept of Graphidaceae presented by the German lichenologist Bettina Staiger, which for the first time provided a detailed analysis of the taxonomic relationships between genera in the family, using both morphological and molecular data. [3]
In 2010, the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi reviewed the proposal and recommended its acceptance with a strong majority (85.7% in favour). [4] This recommendation effectively conserved the name Phaeographis with P. dendritica as its type species, securing its taxonomic status and preventing the need to transfer numerous species to other genera. [4] This conservation was particularly important because Phaeographis represents the second largest genus in the family Graphidaceae, containing approximately 150 species. The conservation of the name is expected to maintain stability in the taxonomy of this significant group of lichens. [3] [4]
The genus Phaeographis consists of crustose lichens, characterised by their thin, often inconspicuous thallus, which adheres closely to the substrate . In European species, the hyphae within the thallus react to iodine staining (I+) by turning blue, indicating the presence of specific starch-like compounds. The photobiont , or photosynthetic partner, is a green alga of the genus Trentepohlia , which is common in many lichens. [5]
The reproductive structures of Phaeographis are apothecia, which are fruiting bodies that vary in form from unbranched to branched or star-like ( stellate ). These structures are lirellate , meaning they are elongated and slit-like in appearance. They are typically immersed within the thallus but may protrude slightly. The margin of the thallus surrounding the apothecia is generally inconspicuous, blending into the rest of the lichen surface. The true exciple , a layer of tissue surrounding the hymenium (the spore-producing region), is thin and black, and may or may not extend beneath the hymenium. The disc of the apothecia is expanded and ranges in colour from brown to black. It is often matt in texture and may be coated with a white powdery substance ( pruina ). [5]
The internal structure of the apothecia includes a colourless hymenium that does not react with iodine (I–) and contains crystalline inclusions. The hamathecium , the network of sterile filaments between the spore-producing asci, is composed of unbranched paraphyses. These filaments have clavate (club-shaped) apical cells that are brownish in colour. The asci are of the Graphis -type, containing eight spores each, and do not react with iodine (K/I–). [5]
Ascospores are initially colourless but soon develop a pale to reddish-brown colouration within the ascus. They are I+ (purple) and are transversely divided into many segments, forming lens-shaped cells. Aphaeographis also reproduces asexually through structures called pycnidia, which produce ellipsoidal conidia. These conidia are typically straight or slightly curved. [5]
The Graphidaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Graphidales. The family contains nearly a hundred genera and more than 2000 species. Although the family has a cosmopolitan distribution, most Graphidaceae species occur in tropical regions, and typically grow on bark.
Sarcographa is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. The genus was circumscribed by theFrench botanist Antoine Laurent Apollinaire Fée in 1825.
Platythecium is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. It contains an estimated 27 species.
Platygramme is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae consisting of about 30 species. The genus was circumscribed by Antoine Laurent Apollinaire Fée in 1874.
Phaeographina is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Swiss lichenologist Johannes Müller Argoviensis in 1882.
Graphis is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. Historically, Graphis was used as a broad category for species with colourless, transversely septate ascospores within the Graphidaceae. However, with advances in genetic research, this classification has become more refined. As a result, species previously classified under Graphina have been re-assigned to Allographa or Graphis. The species complex around Graphis scripta has also been recognised, leading to the identification of several new species, many of which may have been previously overlooked.
Glyphis is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in tropical regions.
Fissurina is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Graphidaceae. It has about 160 species, most of which are found in tropical regions.
Diorygma is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Franz Gerhard Eschweiler in 1824. Species of the genus are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
Carbacanthographis is a genus of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichens in the family Graphidaceae. The genus was circumscribed by German lichenologists Bettina Staiger and Klaus Kalb in 2002. An updated worldwide key to the genus was published in 2022 that added 17 new species. This revision allowed for further identification of undescribed species from other collections, and subsequently, 14 species were added in 2023 from the Amazonian lowland forests of Brazil and the Guianas.
Acanthothecis is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Frederick Edward Clements in 1909.
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.
Megalaria is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Ramalinaceae. It contains 44 species of crustose lichens, the majority of which grow on bark.
Allographa is a genus of script lichens in the family Graphidaceae. It has nearly 200 species. Formally circumscribed in 1824 by François Fulgis Chevallier, Allographa was formerly included in Graphis, but was upgraded to generic status in 2018 by lichenologists Klaus Kalb and Robert Lücking, who used molecular phylogenetics analysis to show this group of species to constitute a distinct lineage in the Graphidaceae.
Schizotrema is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. The genus was circumscribed in 2009 by Armin Mangold and H. Thorsten Lumbsch.
Graphina is a genus of script lichens in the family Graphidaceae. It has about 25 species. The genus was circumscribed in 1880 by Swiss lichenologist Johannes Müller Argoviensis. Müller Argoviensis did not indicate a type species for the genus in his original publication; David Hawksworth proposed to designate Graphina anguina as a lectotype in 1981.
Graphidales is an order of lichen-forming fungi in the class Lecanoromycetes. It contains 6 families, about 81 genera and about 2,228 species. Family Graphidaceae are the largest crustose family within Graphidales order comprising more than 2000 species, which are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
Leiorreuma is a genus of script lichens in the family Graphidaceae. It has 18 species. The genus was circumscribed by Franz Gerhard Eschweiler in 1824, with Leiorreuma hepaticum assigned as the type species.
Pallidogramme is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. It has 8 species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichens.
