| Romjularia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Romjularia lurida on rock in Italy | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecideales |
| Family: | Lecideaceae |
| Genus: | Romjularia Timdal (2007) |
| Species: | R. lurida |
| Binomial name | |
| Romjularia lurida (Ach.) Timdal (2007) | |
| Synonyms | |
Romjularia is a fungal genus in the family Lecideaceae, [1] containing the single species Romjularia lurida, a saxicolous and terricolous (rock- and ground-dwelling) squamulose lichen.
The sole species in Romjularia was originally formally described by the Swedish lichenologist Erik Acharius in 1803, who named it Lecidea lurida. [2] It was transferred to a few different genera in its taxonomic history, including Psora , Lecidea , and Mycobilimbia . Einar Timdal circumscribed the new genus Romjularia in 2007 to contain the species. [3]
Romjularia lurida is a lichen characterised by a squamulose thallus, meaning it consists of small, scale-like structures ( squamules ) that can grow up to 5 mm long. These scales often become upright as they mature, with their upper surfaces turning brown or pale brown, and their margins curling under. The underside of the thallus is pale in color. The thallus is attached to the substrate by rhizoidal strands, which are root-like structures. The outer layer of the thallus, the cortex , is composed of paraplectenchymatous tissue, a type of tissue made up of tightly packed fungal cells. The upper part of the cortex is brown and has a necrotic layer above it, indicating dead tissue. [4] [3]
The apothecia (fruiting bodies) are small, measuring up to 1.5 mm in diameter. They can be found either along the edges (marginal) or on the surface (laminal) of the thallus. These apothecia are convex, red-brown in colour, with an exciple (the outer layer of the apothecia) that is also red-brown, but lightens toward the interior. The internal layers of the apothecia include a brown hypothecium and a hymenium that is 80–100 μm thick. The hymenium reacts to iodine by turning reddish-yellow and then blue after treatment with potassium hydroxide solution. [4] [3]
The apothecia contain asci, which are spore-producing cells that are clavate (club-shaped). The spores are hyaline, smooth, and ellipsoid, measuring 11–14 by 6–7 μm. The lichen also has small, sessile pycnidia—structures involved in asexual reproduction. [3]
Romjularia lurida does not contain specific lichen substances. However, the exciple and epihymenium (the outermost layer of the hymenium) react to hydrochloric acid by turning red, but do not react to potassium hydroxide (K-). [3]
Romjularia lurida is primarily known to occur in temperate regions of Europe, [3] including throughout much of Britain and Ireland. [5] The lichen has also been recorded in North Africa, the Western Asia, and some scattered locations in North America. It grows on siliceous rocks and on calcareous soils in sun-exposed habitats. [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.
Pertusaria albineoides is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Pertusariaceae. Found on the Galápagos Islands, it was formally described as a new species in 2015 by Frank Bungartz, A.W.Archer, Alba Yánez-Ayabaca, and John Elix. The type specimen was collected on Alcedo Volcano at an altitude of 1,089 m (3,573 ft), where it was found growing on a partially shaded, rain- and wind-exposed trunk of Scalesia microcephala. The species epithet refers to the similarity to the species Pertusaria albinea, from which it differs by having thin-walled ellipsoid-shaped ascospores that are longer and narrower.
Sirenophila maccarthyi is a species of corticolous/lignicolous, crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It has a thallus that is whitish or greyish, often inconspicuous and not always continuous, which can appear darker or dirty grey near its numerous, clustered apothecia. Sirenophila maccarthyi is distributed across regions including Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and New Zealand, in both coastal and inland habitats. It typically grows on the bark and dead wood of a wide range of trees and shrubs such as Acacia sophorae, Araucaria excelsa, and various Eucalyptus species.
Lecidea lygommella is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Lecideaceae. It spreads up to 7 cm wide with a thin thallus varying in colour from whitish and pale grey to rusty red-brown, featuring areolate surfaces with irregularly shaped areoles. Its fruiting bodies range from slightly embedded to sitting atop the thallus and black, flat to slightly convex apothecial discs. Unlike its lookalike Lecidea lygomma, L. lygommella does not produce any secondary chemicals. It is found in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, where it grows on rocks in alpine areas.
Tetramelas gariwerdensis is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Physciaceae, described in 2020. It is found in the Grampian Mountains in western Victoria, Australia.
Harusavskia is single-species fungal genus in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains the little-known species Harusavskia elenkinianoides, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen. This species is known only from its original collection site near the Laguna del Maule in Chile.
Caloplaca himalayana is a species of lignicolous (wood-dwelling) crustose lichen belonging to the family Teloschistaceae. Found in the Himalayas of India, it was described as new to science in 2009. The lichen has a yellowish thallus with rusty red apothecial discs.
Glaucomaria is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Lecanoraceae. It has seven species. The genus was circumscribed by Maurice Choisy in 1929. It contains crustose lichens formerly placed in the Lecanora rupicola species complex as defined by several previous authors.
Glaucomaria carpinea is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Lecanoraceae. It is a widely distributed species.
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.
Xylopsora canopeorum is a squamulose (scaly), corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen species in the family Umbilicariaceae. Discovered in the canopies of Sequoia sempervirens in California, United States, it was formally described as new to science in 2018. It is endemic to the central coastal region of California, living within the unique ecosystems of Big Basin Redwoods State Park and Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, areas known for their ancient coast redwood forests. The lichen evolves from a crust-like to scale-like form, developing into coral-like crusts as it matures, complemented by distinctive flat, black reproductive discs. This species has varying greyish-green to medium brown coloration and occasionally forms soralia, which release powdery reproductive propagules called soredia. Xylopsora canopeorum is distinguished from closely related species by its smaller, partly coral-like squamules (scales), the occurrence of soralia on its surface, and in some specimens, the presence of both thamnolic and friesiic acids within the thallus.
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.
Lecidea toensbergii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Lecideaceae. Described as a new species in 2018, it has been documented from several locations in Norway and a single location in Sweden, where it grows in rocky alpine environments.
Hafellia alisioae is a rare species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Caliciaceae. Found in the Canary Islands, it was formally described as a new species in 2003 by Javier Etayo and Bernhard Marbach. The species epithet alisioae is derived from alisios, the Spanish word for the moisture-laden Atlantic winds that blow from the northeast, bringing high humidity and rain to exposed coasts with biodiverse lichen growth. Mireia Giralt and Pieter P.G. van den Boom proposed to transfer the taxon to the genus Buellia in 2011.
Porpidia macrocarpa is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Lecideaceae.
Aspiciliella is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megasporaceae. It has four species. The genus is characterised by its crustose, rimose-areolate thallus that is partially continuous and has a K+ (red) reaction. The epihymenium is typically green to olive-green and turns light green when treated with N. Aspiciliella has eight-spored asci of the Aspicilia-type, containing ellipsoid, colourless, and simple ascospores.
Aspilidea is a fungal genus of uncertain familial placement in the subclass Ostropomycetidae. It contains the single species Aspilidea myrinii, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen with a circumpolar distribution.
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.
