Umbilicaria nodulospora | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Ascomycota |
Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
Order: | Umbilicariales |
Family: | Umbilicariaceae |
Genus: | Umbilicaria |
Species: | U. nodulospora |
Binomial name | |
Umbilicaria nodulospora McCune, Di Meglio & Curtis (2014) | |
Umbilicaria nodulospora is a species of foliose lichen in the family Umbilicariaceae, [1] discovered on steep rock faces of old lava flows in California and Oregon, USA. This species is distinguished by the unique shape of its ascospores and its DNA sequence, which does not closely relate to any known species within its family.
The species was formally described in 2014 by Bruce McCune, Joseph Di Meglio, and Marc J. Curtis, following DNA analysis and detailed study of its unique spore morphology. The molecular phylogenetics analysis involved the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) of ribosomal DNA, confirming its distinctiveness but not identifying any close relatives within the Umbilicariaceae. [2]
The thallus of Umbilicaria nodulospora is either monophyllous (single-leafed) or polyphyllous (multiple leaves), growing up to 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 in) in diameter and about 0.2 mm thick, excluding the rhizines. It features a brown to gray-brown upper surface that is faintly to distinctly pruinose (powdery), creating a grayish effect especially near the central attachment point ( umbo ). The texture is smooth to broadly cracked in a network pattern (reticulation), facilitating the thallus splitting into partial thalli. The edges may be whole to irregularly torn or lobed. [2]
The lower surface varies from brown to black, often covered with a dense mat of rhizines—hair-like growths that anchor the lichen to its substrate . These rhizines can be parallel or entangled, contributing to a mat that is 1–2 mm thick. The apothecia (fruiting bodies) are black, sessile (directly attached), and can be up to 2 mm in diameter, typically showing a gyrose (brain-like) surface. The spores are simple and hyaline (translucent), and characterized by having one or two blunt, shallow knobs at one end, giving them a T, Y, or L shape. [2]
Umbilicaria nodulospora is known from geologically recent flood basalts in central Oregon to northeastern California. It inhabits steeply inclined surfaces of these basalt flows, typically found in cooler, north-facing areas. The specific ecological adaptations that allow it to thrive in such niches are not fully understood, though its occurrence on basalt is a key aspect of its habitat preference. [2]
Rhizocarpon diploschistinum is an uncommon species of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Rhizocarpaceae. It parasitises the lichen Diploschistes muscorum. It is distinguished from similar species by its distinctive yellow thallus and presence of rhizocarpic acid. This lichen has been found in shrub steppe and grasslands in central Washington and north-central Oregon, USA.
Bulbothrix meizospora is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is found in Africa, Asia, and South America, where it grows on tree bark.
Umbilicaria hyperborea, commonly known as blistered rock tripe, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Umbilicariaceae. It is widely distributed in arctic and alpine regions.
Umbilicaria virginis, commonly known as the blushing rock tripe, is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) umbilicate lichen in the family Umbilicariaceae. It occurs in polar and alpine regions.
Umbilicaria maculata is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) umbilicate lichen in the family Umbilicariaceae. It is found in high-elevation alpine locations in Poland and France.
Biatora pacifica is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It is found in Russia, Japan, and South Korea, where it grows along the Pacific coast. It inhabits the bark of a variety of coniferous and deciduous plants.
Solorina crocea, commonly known as the orange chocolate chip lichen, is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling) and foliose (leafy) lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. The lichen, which was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, has an arctic–alpine and circumpolar distribution and occurs in Asia, Europe, North America, and New Zealand. It generally grows on the bare ground in sandy soils, often in moist soil near snow patches or seepage areas. Although several forms and varieties of the lichen have been proposed in its history, these are not considered to have any independent taxonomic significance.
Rostania is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Collemataceae. These lichens are primarily found on tree bark, occasionally on wood, with one species known to inhabit soil. The genus is characterized morphologically by having minute thalli made of hyphal tissue without a separate cortex, and the more or less cuboid-shaped ascospores.
Umbilicaria muhlenbergii, commonly known as plated rock tripe, is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling, umbilicate lichen in the family Umbilicariaceae.
Umbilicaria murihikuana is a rare species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) lichen in the family Umbilicariaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it occurs in mountainous, high-rainfall areas of Otago and Southland. It grows on exposed rocks and boulders at altitudes between 1,000 and 1,500 m, in subalpine to alpine habitats.
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.
Lobariella reticulata is a species of foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It is found in Colombia.
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.
Physcia magnussonii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Physciaceae. It was formally described as a new species in 1952 by the Swiss botanist Eduard Frey. He collected the type specimen in Bern, Switzerland. The species epithet honours the Swedish lichenologist Adolf Hugo Magnusson. Frey's original specimen was later declared the lectotype of the species by Roland Moberg in a 1977 monograph on the genus Physcia.
Umbilicaria torrefacta is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Umbilicariaceae. It is an arctic-alpine species with a circumpolar distribution and is widely distributed within the Holarctic realm, specifically within the Palearctic and Neoarctic biogeographical regions. Characteristic features of Umbilicaria torrefacta include the lace-like fringe in its lobes and the plates on the underside of the thallus. One common name, punctured rock-tripe, refers to the distinctive sieve-like perforations on the thallus margins.
Umbilicaria angulata, commonly known as the asterisk rocktripe, is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Umbilicariaceae. It is found in northwestern North America and east Eurasia, where it grows on acidic rock.
Melanohalea exasperatula, commonly known as the lustrous camouflage lichen or lustrous brown-shield, is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It has a widespread global distribution and is common in both Europe and northern North America. Its thallus can grow up to 5 cm (2 in) in diameter, with marginal lobes up to 5 mm broad. The upper surface is pale olive-green to red-brown, with isidia that are unbranched, inflated, and hollow. It can be distinguished from similar species by the shape and structure of these isidia. The lower surface of the thallus is pale tan to pale brown with scattered, pale rhizines. Apothecia are uncommon, while pycnidia and secondary metabolites have not been observed in this species. The lack of defensive chemicals makes it vulnerable to grazing by slugs and snails. The evolutionary history of Melanohalea exasperatula is linked to major climatic events during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs.
Peltigera retifoveata is a species of foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It is found in Scandinavia, western Eurasia and western North America, where it grows on the ground and amongst mosses.
Umbilicaria semitensis, commonly known as Yosemite rock tripe, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Umbilicariaceae. It occurs in the western regions of northern North America, from southern California to southern Oregon.
Umbilicaria isidiosa is a species of foliose lichen belonging to the family Umbilicariaceae. It is endemic to Bolivia, where it occurs in high-altitude regions of the Bolivian Andes. It is distinguished by its thallus, which has an upper surface ranging from ashy brown to mouse grey, featuring a frosty texture that varies from smooth to slightly rough. This surface is adorned with numerous isidia, ranging from spherical to richly branched, primarily concentrated along the margins. The lower surface is dark, transitioning from smooth to rough in texture, and sparsely covered with dark rhizines.