Schistophoron muriforme

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Schistophoron muriforme
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Graphidales
Family: Graphidaceae
Genus: Schistophoron
Species:
S. muriforme
Binomial name
Schistophoron muriforme
Weerakoon & Aptroot (2016)

Schistophoron muriforme is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Graphidaceae, [1] first described in 2016. Found in Sri Lanka, it is characterised by its pale yellowish-white thallus and muriform ascospores .

Contents

Taxonomy

Schistophoron muriforme was formally described by the lichenologists Gothamie Weerakoon and André Aptroot in 2016. The type specimen was collected in Morningside, Sri Lanka, on the bark of a tree in April 2015. [2]

Schistophoron muriforme is the only member of Schistophoron that has muriform ascospores and produces the substance psoromic acid. [3]

Description

The thallus of Schistophoron muriforme is crustose , continuous, not corticate , dull, and pale yellowish-white, surrounded by a usually diffuse brown prothallus . The algal partner ( photobiont ) in this lichen is trentepohlioid . Ascomata are sessile, lirelliform or ellipsoidal or branched. They are about 0.3–0.5 mm wide, 0.3–0.4 mm high, and 0.7–1.5 mm long, and have a margin that is white and about 0.2 mm wide. The excipulum is pale brown, and the hypothecium is hyaline. The hamathecium is not inspersed and hyaline, with paraphysoids 2–2.5 μm wide, and the area above the hamathecium is completely filled with mazaedium . Ascospores are brown, muriform , 3–7 by 2–4-septate, spherical to ellipsoid, measuring 15–30 by 15–18 μm, with rounded lumina . Pycnidia were not observed to occur in this species. [2]

The reaction of the thallus of Schistophoron muriforme to standard chemical spot tests is UV−, C−, K−, KC−, and Pd+ (yellow). Thin-layer chromatography analysis detected psoromic acid. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This species is found on trees in wet tropical mountain forests and is only known to occur in Sri Lanka. [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

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Allographa hypostictica is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Graphidaceae, Found in Brazil, it was described as a new species in 2018. Its thallus contains hypostictic acid and its distinctive apothecia and ascospores.

Pyrenula multicolorata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Pyrenulaceae, first described in 2016. It is distinguished by its almost superficial ascomata with a hamathecium inspersed with orange crystals, and ascospores that contain three internal partitions (septa).

Porina monilisidiata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Trichotheliaceae, first described in 2016. This species is characterised by its shiny, olive-green thallus with numerous isidia and low conical ascomata.

Porina microtriseptata is a species of corticolous, crustose lichen in the family Trichotheliaceae, first described in 2016. This species is distinguished by its shiny, olive-green thallus and hemispherical ascomata with pointed ascospores that are consistently hyaline, fusiform, and have three internal partitions (septa).

References

  1. "Schistophoron muriforme Weerakoon & Aptroot". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Weerakoon, Gothamie; Aptroot, André (2016). "Nine new lichen species and 64 new records from Sri Lanka". Phytotaxa. 280 (2): 152–162. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.280.2.5.
  3. 1 2 Torres, Jean Marc; Spielmann, Adriano Afonso; Aptroot, André; Cardoso, Karen Fernandes; Honda, Neli Kika (2020). "The lichen genus Schistophoron Stirt. (Ascomycetes, Graphidaceae) in Brazil with a world key to the species". Cryptogamie, Mycologie. 41 (13): 211–217. doi:10.5252/cryptogamie-mycologie2020v41a13.