Verrucaria viridula

Verrucaria viridula
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Eurotiomycetes
Order:	Verrucariales
Family:	Verrucariaceae
Genus:	Verrucaria
Species:	V. viridula
Binomial name
	Verrucaria viridula; (Schrad.) Ach. (1803)
Synonyms
	Endocarpon viridulumSchrad. (1794); Verrucaria papillosaAch. (1810); Verrucaria obductilis(Nyl.) Zschacke (1933);

Last updated June 14, 2023

Verrucaria viridula is a common and widely distributed species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae.^[4] Although it is a somewhat morphologically variable species, two persistent distinguishing characteristics are its relatively large perithecia , which are often curved into a beak, and its large ascospores .

Taxonomy

The lichen was first described in 1794 by German botanist Heinrich Schrader, who placed it in the genus Endocarpon .^[5] Erik Acharius transferred it to the genus Verrucaria in 1803.^[6] The name was lectotypified in 1987.^[2]

Verrucaria obductilis and Verrucaria papillosa have been shown to be synonyms of V. viridula.^[2]^[3]

Description

Verrucaria viridula presents a thallus — the main body of the lichen — that is partially to entirely immersed in the cracks of its rocky substrate , sometimes only discernible as brown flecks on the surface. When it is superficial, its color can vary, most often appearing pale brown, but occasionally presenting shades of white, pale grey, or green-grey. Its areolate structure — resembling a pattern of small areas or islands — is divided by cracks, and it lacks any vegetative propagules, or structures involved in reproduction.^[7]

The perithecia , the fruiting bodies of the lichen, are embedded halfway to almost fully in the thallus. These display as convex to conical-hemispherical projections, with widths ranging from 0.15 to 0.5 mm. Their bases are immersed in the substrate. Each perithecium has an exciple — the outer protective layer of the fruiting body — which measures between 0.35 and 0.6 mm wide. The apex of the exciple extends into a short beak-like projection and is pigmented. The involucrellum , another protective layer, is weakly developed and extends from the apex of the exciple, either loosely adhering to the upper half of the exciple or slightly spreading out.^[7]

Verrucaria viridula produces ascospores that are more or less ellipsoid in shape, typically measuring between 28.5 and 34 μm in length and 14.5 to 20 μm in width. The perispore , or the outer layer of the ascospore, can sometimes be observed and measures up to 0.5 μm thick. Pycnidia , another type of fruiting body, are identifiable as dark dots up to 0.06 mm wide or larger. These produce conidia, or asexual spores, that are straight to slightly curved, measuring approximately 7 to 10 by 1 μm.^[7]

Habitat and distribution

Verrucaria viridula is a widely distributed species, occurring in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Macaronesia, Central America, and North America. It grows on calcareous rock.^[7]

Species interactions

Opegrapha opaca is a lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungus that inhabits the thallus of V. viridula, although it causes little to no discernible damage to its host. This genus-specific fungus (it has been found on other Verrucaria species as well) has been recorded from western Europe east to Israel.^[8]

Related Research Articles

Verrucariaceae is a family of lichens and a few non-lichenised fungi in the order Verrucariales. The lichens have a wide variety of thallus forms, from crustose (crust-like) to foliose (bushy) and squamulose (scaly). Most of them grow on land, some in freshwater and a few in the sea. Many are free-living but there are some species that are parasites on other lichens, while one marine species always lives together with a leafy green alga.

Pilophorus acicularis, commonly known as the nail lichen or the devil's matchstick lichen, is a species of matchstick lichen in the family Cladoniaceae.

Verrucaria nigrescens is a widespread species of crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. It was first formally described as a new species by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon in 1795. The lichen produces a very dark brown thallus that grows on rocks; the medulla is black. There are black perithecia that resemble buried dots, and which measure 0.15–0.3 mm in diameter. Ascospores measure 14–24 by 7–11 μm.

Hydropunctaria is a genus of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens in the family Verrucariaceae. The genus includes both aquatic and amphibious species, with members that colonise either marine or freshwater habitats. The type species, Hydropunctaria maura, was formerly classified in the large genus Verrucaria. It is a widely distributed species common to littoral zones. Including the type species, five Hydropunctaria lichens are considered marine species: H. adriatica, H. amphibia, H. aractina, H. orae, and H. oceanica.

Ocellularia brunneospora is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Graphidaceae. Found in Thailand, it was formally described as a new species in 2002 by lichenologists Natsurang Homchantara and Brian J. Coppins. The type specimen was collected in the Namtok Phlio National Park ; here, in a moist evergreen forest at an elevation of 100 m (330 ft), the lichen was found growing on the bark of Anisoptera costata. Ocellularia brunneospora is only known to occur at the type locality.

Opegrapha vulpina is a species of lichenicolous (lichen-eating) fungus in the family Opegraphaceae. It is found in the Czech Republic, Dobruja, Romania, and the Italian Apennine Mountains. It grows parasitically on two species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens.

Verrucaria vitikainenii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. It is found in Finland, where it occurs on calcareous rock outcrops.

Verrucaria oulankaensis is a rare species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. It is found in north-eastern Finland, where it occurs on calcareous rocks on river shores.

Verrucaria ahtii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. It is found in Finland, Lithuania, Russia, and Switzerland, where it occurs on calcareous pebbles.

Verrucaria takagoensis is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. Found in semi-freshwater habitats in Chiba Prefecture, central Japan, it was formally described as a new species in 2001 by lichenologist Hiroshi Harada. The lichen has almost spherical, exposed black perithecia measuring 0.1–0.2 mm in diameter, with brownish-black perithecial walls, and lacking a distinct involucrellum. The periphyses are 5–10 μm long with pointed apices, while its ascospores measure 6–8 by 4–5 μm. Verrucaria takagoensis has a translucent or almost transparent (semipellucid) brownish, thin thallus.

Verrucaria kiyosumiensis is a species saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. Found in semi-freshwater habitats in Chiba Prefecture, central Japan, it was formally described as a new species in 2001 by lichenologist Hiroshi Harada. The lichen has almost spherical, exposed black perithecia measuring 0.15–0.25 mm in diameter, and dark purplish brown perithecial walls lacking a distinct involucrellum. The periphyses are 10–15 μm long with pointed apices, and its ascospores have dimensions of 12–16 by 5–7 μm. The lichen has an indistinct thallus.

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.

Heteroplacidium compactum is a species of areolate, crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. It has a cosmopolitan distribution. It is a lichenicolous lichen, growing as a facultative parasite on other lichens, typically on non-calcareous rock. It has rod-shaped (bacilliform) conidia measuring 5–7 μm long, and ascospores that are 11–18 by 8–10 μm. Heteroplacidium zamenhofianum is a closely related species distinguished by having perithecia situated in the algal layer, and smaller ascospores with a more narrow ellipsoid shape.

Wahlenbergiella tavaresiae is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. Known from several locations in the San Francisco Bay area of the United States, it is a marine lichen that inhabits intertidal zones, and as such is immersed in seawater on a regular basis. Associated algal species include the red algae Hildenbrandia and Mastocarpus papillatus, and the brown algae Pelvetiopsis and Fucus. Petroderma maculiforme, a brown alga, is the photobiont partner in the lichen.

Phylloblastia inexpectata is a species of foliicolous (leaf-dwelling) lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. Found in Europe, it was formally described by lichenologists Emmanuël Sérusiaux, Brian John Coppins, and Robert Lücking. The type specimen was collected by the second author in Dunskey Glen Woods, where it was found growing on the leaves of a Prunus laurocerasus tree growing near a stream. It has also been collected in England, southern Italy, Madeira, and Spain.

Verrucaria muralis is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling, crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. It is a common species with an almost cosmopolitan distribution, occurring in an altitudinal range extending from the lowlands to the subalpine zone. It grows on calcareous rocks and walls. It was first formally described as a new species in 1803 by Swedish lichenologist Erik Acharius.

Verrucaria simplex is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. Found in Europe and Asia, it was described as new to science in 1988 by lichenologist Patrick McCarthy. The type specimen was collected by Brian Coppins from Morpeth, Northumberland; there, it was found growing on a fragment of mortar-cement lying on the floor of a woodland. The lichen was later reported from the Czech Republic, and Korea.

Verrucaria nodosa is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. Found in freshwater habitats in Wales, it was formally described as a new species in 2013 by lichenologist Alan Orange. The type specimen was collected by the author north-west of Llanuwchllyn, Merioneth, where it was found growing on an unshaded rock in a stream. The lichen has a grey-green to dark brown thallus with an uneven surface crust. Its ascomata are in the form of somewhat convex to hemispherical perithecia measuring 220–460 μm in diameter, with an inconspicuous or tiny ostiole. Ascospores are ellipsoid and colourless, lack any septa, and typically measure 20.5–22.2–24.0 by 90–97–105 μm. The species is known only from a few streams in Wales, where it grows on shaded or lightly shaded rocks. Associated lichen species include Ionaspis lacustris, Rhizocarpon lavatum, Porpidia hydrophila, Sporodictyon cruentum, and Trapelia coarctata, as well as the mosses Racomitrium aciculare and Scapania undulata.

Verrucaria kowenensis is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. It is found in the Australian Capital Territory of Australia, where it grows on silica-rich soil.

References

↑ "Synonymy. Current Name: Verrucaria viridula (Schrad.) Ach., Methodus, Suppl. (Stockholmiæ): 16 (1803)". Species Fungorum . Retrieved 12 June 2023.
1 2 3 Christiansen, M.S.; Roux, C. (1987). "Typification de Verrucaria viridula (Schrad.) Ach". Bulletin de la Société linnéenne de Provence (in French). 39: 107–127.
1 2 Orange, Alan (2004). "Verrucaria papillosa is a synonym of V. viridula". The Lichenologist. 36 (6): 445–447. doi:10.1017/s0024282904014471.
↑ "Verrucaria viridula (Schrad.) Ach". Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
↑ Schrader, H.A. (1794). Spicilegum florae Germanicae. Hannover.
↑ Acharius, E. (1803). Supplementum species quamplures novas descriptas nec non observationes varias complectens, quod praeviae suae Methodo Lichenum adjunxit Auctor (S. A. et L.) (in Latin). Stockholm. p. 16.
1 2 3 4 Orange, A.; Hawksworth, D.L.; McCarthy, P.M.; Fletcher, A. (2009). "Verrucaria". In Smith, C.W.; Aptroot, A.; Coppins, B.J.; Fletcher, A.; Gilbert, O.L.; James, P.W.; Wolseley, P.A. (eds.). The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland. London: British Lichen Society. p. 957.
↑ Coppins, Brian J.; Kondratyuk, Sergey Y.; Etayo, Javier; Cannon, Paul F. (2021). "Notes on lichenicolous species of Opegrapha s. lat. (Arthoniales) on Arthoniaceae and Verrucariaceae, with a key to British and Irish lichenicolous Opegraphaceae". The Lichenologist. 53 (2): 159–169. doi:10.1017/s0024282921000025.

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[Species_Fungorum_synonymy-1] "Synonymy. Current Name: Verrucaria viridula (Schrad.) Ach., Methodus, Suppl. (Stockholmiæ): 16 (1803)". Species Fungorum . Retrieved 12 June 2023.

[Christiansen_&_Roux_1987-2] 1 2 3 Christiansen, M.S.; Roux, C. (1987). "Typification de Verrucaria viridula (Schrad.) Ach". Bulletin de la Société linnéenne de Provence (in French). 39: 107–127.

[Orange_2004-3] 1 2 Orange, Alan (2004). "Verrucaria papillosa is a synonym of V. viridula". The Lichenologist. 36 (6): 445–447. doi:10.1017/s0024282904014471.

[CoL-4] "Verrucaria viridula (Schrad.) Ach". Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 12 June 2023.

[Schrader_1794-5] Schrader, H.A. (1794). Spicilegum florae Germanicae. Hannover.

[Acharius_1803-6] Acharius, E. (1803). Supplementum species quamplures novas descriptas nec non observationes varias complectens, quod praeviae suae Methodo Lichenum adjunxit Auctor (S. A. et L.) (in Latin). Stockholm. p. 16.

[Orange_et_al._2009-7] 1 2 3 4 Orange, A.; Hawksworth, D.L.; McCarthy, P.M.; Fletcher, A. (2009). "Verrucaria". In Smith, C.W.; Aptroot, A.; Coppins, B.J.; Fletcher, A.; Gilbert, O.L.; James, P.W.; Wolseley, P.A. (eds.). The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland. London: British Lichen Society. p. 957.

[Coppins_et_al._2021-8] Coppins, Brian J.; Kondratyuk, Sergey Y.; Etayo, Javier; Cannon, Paul F. (2021). "Notes on lichenicolous species of Opegrapha s. lat. (Arthoniales) on Arthoniaceae and Verrucariaceae, with a key to British and Irish lichenicolous Opegraphaceae". The Lichenologist. 53 (2): 159–169. doi:10.1017/s0024282921000025.

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