Pyrenodesmia variabilis

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Pyrenodesmia variabilis
Caloplaca variabilis (Pers.) Mull. Arg 324635.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Teloschistales
Family: Teloschistaceae
Genus: Pyrenodesmia
Species:
P. variabilis
Binomial name
Pyrenodesmia variabilis
(Pers.) A.Massal. (1852)
Synonyms [1]
List
  • Lichen variabilisPers. (1794)
  • Psora variabilis(Pers.) Hoffm. (1796)
  • Parmelia variabilis(Pers.) Ach. (1803)
  • Collema variabile(Pers.) DC. (1805)
  • Lecanora variabilis(Pers.) Ach. (1810)
  • Lichen peltatus * variabilis(Pers.) Lam. (1813)
  • Parmelia circinata var. variabilis(Pers.) Fr. (1831)
  • Parmelia circinata f. variabilis(Pers.) Fr. (1831)
  • Patellaria variabilis(Pers.) Wallr. (1831)
  • Parmelia radiosa var. variabilis(Pers.) Schaer. (1840)
  • Zeora variabilis(Pers.) Flot. (1849)
  • Lecanora radiosa var. variabilis(Pers.) Schaer. (1850)
  • Callopisma variabile(Pers.) Trevis. (1852)
  • Placodium variabile(Pers.) Hepp (1853)
  • Placodium circinatum var. variabile(Pers.) Nyl. (1857)
  • Caloplaca variabilis(Pers.) Müll.Arg. (1862)

Pyrenodesmia variabilis is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. [2] Characteristics of the species include its dark, areolate thallus, and its dark, sessile (stalkless) apothecia (fruiting bodies). It occurs on nutrient-rich limestone surfaces in Northern Europe, North America, Central America, and Asia.

Contents

Taxonomy

The species was first scientifically described in 1794 by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, who called it Lichen variabilis. [3] Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo transferred the taxon to the genus Pyrenodesmia in 1852, a genus he circumscribed to include a group of four species (P. agardhiana, P. chalybaea, P. olivacea, and P. variabilis), all of which lacked anthraquinones (a class of secondary metabolites common in the family Teloschistaceae), and contained instead the insoluble lichen pigment Sedifolia-gray . [4]

As its species epithet suggests, this lichen has a variable appearance. Several infraspecific taxa have been proposed (i.e., varieties and forms), but their taxonomic status remains unresolved. [5] The species has been proposed for inclusion in several different genera in its early taxonomic history; in some instances authors have suggested that it would be better classed as a variety or form of another species. It has subsequently acquired an extensive synonymy. [1] The genus Pyrenodesmia was resurrected by Ulf Arup and colleagues in 2013. [6] Pyrenodesmia includes members of the former Caloplaca variabilis species complex; the uniting chemical characteristic of this group of lichens were shown to be phylogenetically distinct. [7]

Description

Ascus containing eight polarilocular ascospores with wide septa Caloplaca variabilis (Pers.) Mull. Arg 918275.jpg
Ascus containing eight polarilocular ascospores with wide septa

Pyrenodesmia variabilis has a crust-like (crustose) thallus, which is grey to grey-brown, generally thin and somewhat smooth. [8] Rarely, the colour is white. [5] The thallus is areolate , meaning it has small, rounded, distinct patches. The central area of the thallus is darker than its edges, which may be bordered by a black prothallus. [8] The photobiont partner is a member of the green algal genus Trebouxia . [5]

Its apothecia, the fruiting bodies, are up to 1 mm in diameter. These apothecia are either sparsely scattered or densely crowded on the thallus surface, and they are sessile , meaning they are attached directly without a stalk. Initially flat, they tend to become slightly convex as they mature. The apothecia often have a thick, persistent margin with a grey-blue powdery ( pruinose ) appearance. The disc of the apothecia is black, while the epithecium , the layer above the spore-producing asci, is pale. The paraphyses, which are slender filament-like structures in the hymenium (spore-producing layer), broaden and become stouter towards their tips, reaching about 3  μm in diameter. [8]

The ascospores of Pyrenodesmia variabilis number eight per ascus and are ellipsoid in shape, [5] measuring 14–16 by 7–9 μm. They are polarilocular , with a septum (an internal dividing partition) that is 2–3 μm wide and can sometimes be as long as a third of the total length of the spore. When the thallus is treated with a solution of potassium hydroxide (i.e., the K spot test), it shows no reaction (K–), while the epithecium turns purple upon contact with this chemical (K+ purple). [8]

Habitat and distribution

Pyrenodesmia variabilis thrives on nutrient-rich limestone environments, flourishing on both natural boulders and human-made stonework. It is often found on horizontal surfaces such as the tops of chest tombs and the copings of walls and bridges. [8] It is generally epilithic , meaning that it grows on the surface of rocks, but in a few instances, it has been recorded as endolithic –growing in the interior of rocks, under and around the rock crystals. [5]

This species is widespread throughout England and Wales, including the English Midlands, with a distribution that extends sporadically to Scotland and Ireland. [8] It also occurs in Bulgaria, [9] Greece, [10] Ukraine, [11] and Russia. [5] Pyrenodesmia variabilis is also found in the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far as Central America. [8] Its Asian distribution includes Nepal. [12] In Western Asia, it occurs in Iraq [13] and Turkey. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teloschistaceae</span> Family of lichen-forming fungi

The Teloschistaceae are a large family of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, although members occur predominantly in temperate regions. Most members are lichens that either live on rock or on bark, but about 40 species are lichenicolous – meaning they are non-lichenised fungi that live on other lichens. Many members of the Teloschistaceae are readily identifiable by their vibrant orange to yellow hue, a result of their frequent anthraquinone content. The presence of these anthraquinone pigments, which confer protection from ultraviolet light, enabled this group to expand from shaded forest habitats to harsher environmental conditions of sunny and arid ecosystems during the Late Cretaceous.

Caloplaca durietzii, or Durietz's orange lichen, a smooth surfaced yellowish orange crustose areolate lichen with elongated lobes that grows on wood or bark in southwestern North America. It is commonly seen growing on old junipers in Joshua Tree National Monument in the Mojave Desert. It is in the Caloplaca fungus genus of the Teloschistaceae family.

<i>Pyrenodesmia</i> Genus of fungi

Pyrenodesmia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. The genus currently includes 23 recognized species but is believed to contain many more unnamed taxa. The genus was circumscribed in 1852 by Italian lichenologist Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo. It is characterised by the complete absence of anthraquinones and the presence of Sedifolia-gray pigments in both the thallus and apothecia. These lichens are typically found in calcareous outcrops in the Northern Hemisphere, with biodiversity centres in the Mediterranean basin, Central Asia, and arid regions of western North America.

Parvoplaca nigroblastidiata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Found in Europe and Alaska, it was formally described as a new species in 2015 by Ulf Arup, Jan Vondrák, and Mehmet Halıcı. The type specimen was collected in the Nyhem Parish, Jämtland (Sweden), where it was growing on the bark of Populus tremula. In Turkey, it has been recorded at high altitudes on the bark of Juniperus excelsa and Abies cilicica, while in a single record from Alaska it is growing on Populus. In 2018 it was reported from the sacred groves of Epirus in Greece, and in 2020 from Norway.

Catenarina is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae consisting of three species. These crustose lichens are characterized by their reddish-brown pigmentation and the presence of the secondary compound 7-chlorocatenarin. The genus is found in the southernmost regions of the Southern Hemisphere, including Antarctica, southern Patagonia, and the Kerguelen Islands.

Catenarina desolata is a species of lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It was formally described as a new species in 2014 by lichenologists Ulrik Søchting, Majbrit Søgaard, and Arve Elvebakk. It is predominantly found in the southernmost parts of Chile, with some instances in Antarctica and the Kerguelen Islands. Characterised by its dark reddish-brown to almost purple apothecia, this species of lichen was originally thought to be lichenicolous, meaning it grows on other lichens, particularly Aspicilia species. The later discovery non-lichen-dwelling examples from James Ross Island in the Antarctic Peninsula suggests that it is not exclusively lichenicolous. Its distinctive secondary compound, 7-chlorocatenarin, sets it apart from other lichens in the region.

<i>Fulgogasparrea appressa</i> Species of lichen

Fulgogasparrea appressa is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It has a widespread distribution in western Mexico, including Baja California. It is characterized by its vibrant colors, unique shape, and specific habitat preferences.

Solitaria is a fungal genus in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains a single species, the corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen Solitaria chrysophthalma.

Calogaya alaskensis is a species of crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It was first described as new to science in 2004 by Clifford Wetmore, who placed it in the genus Caloplaca. Ulf Arup and colleagues transferred the taxon to Calogaya in 2013 following a molecular phylogenetics-led restructuring of the Teloschistaceae.

Caloplaca patagoniensis is a species of lignicolous (wood-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in Chile. It forms small thallus patches, with distinctive areoles that change from whitish or greyish-yellow to deep orange or brownish-orange, often covered by a bright orange blastidious mass. Its fruiting bodies (apothecia) are dark reddish-orange and initially immersed in the substrate, while its spores are ellipsoid to elongated, and the species contains parietin, turning purple when exposed to a potassium hydroxide solution.

<i>Flavoplaca austrocitrina</i> Species of lichen

Flavoplaca austrocitrina is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is widely distributed in Europe, and has also been recorded in South America.

<i>Flavoplaca maritima</i> Species of lichen

Flavoplaca maritima is a species of crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in costal areas of Northern, Western, and Southern Europe. It mostly occurs on rocks, but has also been recorded growing on wood.

<i>Parvoplaca tiroliensis</i> Species of lichen

Parvoplaca tiroliensis is a species of crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae, and the type species of the genus Parvoplaca. It is widely distributed, and has been recorded growing on a variety of substrates, including moss, dead plant material, and bone.

<i>Polycauliona coralloides</i> Species of lichen

Polycauliona coralloides, the coral firedot lichen, is a species of small fruticose (bushy), saxicolous (rock-dwelling) lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. First formally described in 1866, it was later shuffled to a few different genera in its taxonomic history before ending up in Polycauliona, a genus resurrected from taxonomic obscurity in the molecular phylogenetics era. The lichen occurs on seaside rocks in the intertidal spray zone of California and northwestern Mexico. The species is readily recognized due to its distinctive coral-like form–its thallus grows as a tangle of orange, filamentous branches.

<i>Flavoplaca oasis</i> Species of lichen

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.

Kuettlingeria soralifera is a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen species in the family Teloschistaceae, first described in 2006. It is similar to Kuettlingeria xerica but distinguished by the presence of soredia on its thallus.

Elixjohnia jackelixii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in Australia and New Zealand. The lichen is characterised by its unique multilayered appearance with outer sterile rings that are brownish or greenish-yellow and inner areoles that are whitish, yellowish, or greyish, often cracked to reveal the medulla underneath. Its fruiting bodies, or apothecia, are typically attached directly to the thallus and vary in colour and shape.

Caloplaca rinodinae-albae is a lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) species of crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae, first described in 1987. This species is unique for its parasitic growth on the lichen Helmutiopsis alba. Characteristics of the lichen include its small, rounded, pale orange thalli and its ability to form larger patches through the confluence of individual thalli.

Loekoesia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains three species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens. Collectively, the genus occurs in South Korea, Mauritius, and the United States. The genus is distinguished by its grey, crust-like thallus, which can be either whole or divided into patch-like segments. Loekoesia lichens have bright white, rounded soralia, which produce bluish to whitish powdery propagules (soredia) and are arranged in irregular groups on the thallus.

Kuettlingeria neotaurica is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae.

References

  1. 1 2 "Synonymy. Current Name: Pyrenodesmia variabilis (Pers.) A. Massal., Atti Inst. Veneto Sci. lett., ed Arti, Sér. 2 3(App. 3): 125 (1852)". Species Fungorum . Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "Pyrenodesmia variabilis (Pers.) A. Massal". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  3. ↑ Persoon, C.H. (1794). "Einige Bemerkungen über die Flechten" [Some remarks on lichens]. Annalen der Botanik (Usteri) (in German). 7: 1–32 [26].
  4. ↑ Massalongo, A.B. (1852). "Monografia dei licheni blasteniospori". Atti dell'Istituto Veneto Scienze. ser. 2. 3(App. 3): 125.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Muggia, Lucia; Grube, Martin; Tretiach, Mauro (2008). "A combined molecular and morphological approach to species delimitation in black-fruited, endolithic Caloplaca: high genetic and low morphological diversity". Mycological Research. 112 (1): 36–49. doi:10.1016/j.mycres.2007.02.001.
  6. ↑ Arup, Ulf; Søchting, Ulrik; Frödén, Patrik (2013). "A new taxonomy of the family Teloschistaceae". Nordic Journal of Botany. 31 (1): 16–83. doi:10.1111/j.1756-1051.2013.00062.x.
  7. ↑ Frolov, Ivan; Vondrák, Jan; Košnar, Jiří; Arup, Ulf (2020). "Phylogenetic relationships within Pyrenodesmia sensu lato and the role of pigments in its taxonomic interpretation". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 59 (3): 454–474. doi:10.1111/jse.12717.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fletcher, A.; Laundon, J.R. (2009). "Caloplaca Th. Fr. (1860)". In Smith, C.W.; Aptroot, A.; Coppins, B.J.; Fletcher, F.; Gilbert, O.L.; James, P.W.; Wolselely, P.A. (eds.). The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland (2nd ed.). London: The Natural History Museum. p. 262. ISBN   978-0-9540418-8-5.
  9. ↑ Denchev, Cvetomir M.; Shivarov, Veselin V.; Denchev, Teodor T.; Mayrhofer, Helmut (2022). "Checklist of the lichenized and lichenicolous fungi in Bulgaria" (PDF). Mycobiota. 12: 1–116. doi:10.12664/mycobiota.2022.12.01.
  10. ↑ Christensen, Steen N. (2020). "New or rarely reported lichens for Thraki, Greece II". Herzogia. 33 (1): 68–74. doi:10.13158/heia.33.1.2020.68.
  11. ↑ Kondratyuk, S.Y.; Popova, L.P.; Khodosovtsev, O.Y.; Lőkös, L.; Fedorenko, N.M.; Kapets, N.V. (2021). "The fourth checklist of Ukrainian lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi with analysis of current additions". Acta Botanica Hungarica. 63 (1–2): 97–163 [138]. doi:10.1556/034.63.2021.1-2.8.
  12. ↑ Baniya, Chitra Bahadur; Bhatta, Pooja (2021). "Exploration of Lichen in Nepal". Journal of Plant Resources. 19 (1): 19–54.
  13. ↑ Karim, Shram H.; Salih, Salah A.; Al-Zubaidy, Adel A. (2021). "A checklist of lichens from Iraq, with four new records of lichens from Iraq". Lindbergia. 2021 (1): 1–6. doi: 10.25227/linbg.01140 .
  14. ↑ Volker, John; Güvenç, Şaban; Türk, Ayşen (2020). "Additions to the checklist and bibliography of the lichens and lichenicolous fungi of Turkey". Archive for Lichenology. 19: 1–32 [23].
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