| Pseudoheppia | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lichinomycetes |
| Order: | Lichinales |
| Family: | Lichinaceae |
| Genus: | Pseudoheppia Zahlbr. (1903) |
| Species: | P. schuleri |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudoheppia schuleri Zahlbr. (1903) | |
Pseudoheppia is a fungal genus in the family Lichinaceae. [1] [2] It contains a single species, Pseudoheppia schuleri, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling) squamulose lichen.
Both the genus Pseudoheppia and its sole species were introduced to science in 1903 by the Austrian lichenologist Alexander Zahlbruckner. The species epithet honours the lichenologist Johann Alois Ernst Schuler, who collected the type species. [3] He collected the type near near Fiume (the old name for the city of Rijeka) in Croatia, specifically on dolomitic limestone. The type specimen is now housed in the herbarium of the Natural History Museum in Vienna. [4]
Pseudoheppia was previously classified in the family Heppiaceae, [5] but this family has since been placed into synonymy with Lichinaceae. [6]
Genus Pseudoheppia features a squamulose (scaly) thallus. The thallus lacks rhizines (root-like structures often used by lichens to anchor themselves to their substrate); instead, the lichen attaches to the surface through medullary hyphae, which are fungal filaments found in the inner layer of the thallus. The structure of the thallus is homoeomerous , meaning it has a uniform texture throughout, without distinct layers. Pseudoheppia does not have a gelatinous texture (contrasting it with many other members of the Lichinaceae), a protective outer cortex , or pseudoparenchymatous tissue. [3]
The hyphae within the thallus are densely packed, and the lichen contains a type of cyanobacteria called Scytonema as its photobiont (the photosynthetic partner in the lichen symbiosis). These cyanobacterial cells are bluish-green and are arranged in clustered chains, contributing to the overall structure and appearance of the thallus. [3]
The apothecia (fruiting bodies) are embedded within the thallus and remain immersed throughout their development. These apothecia lack a distinct outer layer, and the base layer of the thallus, the hypothallus , is pale in colour. The lichen produces simple, colourless spores, with eight spores typically found in each spore-producing structure. Pycnoconidia (asexual reproductive structures), which are common in some lichens, have not been observed to occur in Pseudoheppia. [3]
Pseudoheppia can be distinguished from the closely related genus Heppia by its lack of pseudoparenchymatous tissue in the thallus, which is a key difference in its structure. [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.
Peltula is a genus of small dark brown to olive or dark grey squamulose lichens. These lichens typically grow on rocks in arid and semi-arid environments worldwide. They consist of a fungus living in symbiosis with a photosynthetic partner, specifically a cyanobacterium of the genus Chroococcidiopsis. Peltula is the only genus in the family Peltulaceae, which belongs to the Lichinomycetes, a class of fungi that form lichens. The genus includes about 50 recognised species, which exhibit a variety of growth forms ranging from flat and crust-like to more complex, leaf-like structures. Peltula lichens play important ecological roles in harsh environments, contributing to soil stability and nutrient cycling.
Heppia is a genus of olive, brownish, gray, or blackish squamulose, crustose, or peltate like lichens. Heppia was once the type genus of the family Heppiaceae, but that family was folded into synonymy with Lichinaceae.
Aspiciliopsis is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Trapeliaceae. It has two species, both of which occur in the Southern Hemisphere.
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.
Flavoplaca oasis is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is widely distributed across Europe, and has been reported in Western Asia, China, and North Africa.
Sucioplaca is a single-species fungal genus in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains Sucioplaca diplacia, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen. It is common and widely distributed in the Caribbean, Central America, and the Galápagos Islands, where it grows on coastal rocks.
Myochroidea is a genus of lichen-forming fungi of uncertain familial placement in the order Lecanorales. It has four species of grey or brown-grey crustose lichens.
Fulgidea is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Umbilicariaceae. It has two species of squamulose lichens that grow on bark and on wood.
Austroparmeliella is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Pannariaceae. It consists of five species, all of which are found in the Southern Hemisphere.
Siphulastrum is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Pannariaceae. It has five species. The genus was circumscribed by Johannes Müller Argoviensis in 1889, with S. triste assigned as the type species.
Boreoplaca is a fungal genus in the family Ophioparmaceae. It comprises the single species Boreoplaca ultrafrigida, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), squamulose lichen. Both the genus and species were described in 1994 by the Norwegian lichenologist Einar Timdal. The lichen is found in Eastern Siberia, the Russian Far East as well as in adjacent territories of north-east China, and in South Korea. The main characteristics of the lichen are its squamulose thallus, black lecideine apothecia, and Fuscidea-type asci.
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.
Metamelanea is a small genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Lichinaceae. It consists of three species of rock-dwelling lichens.
Nebularia is a small genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Pannariaceae. It comprises two species, both of which are found in the Andes.
Joergensenia is a fungal genus in the family Pannariaceae. It comprises a single species, Joergensenia cephalodina, which is a corticolous (bark-dwelling), squamulose lichen found in southern South America.