Wetmoreana species are found across a wide geographical range, including the Americas, Africa, and parts of Asia, and occur in diverse habitats from sea level to high mountain environments. They grow predominantly on siliceous rocks, with some species also found on calcareous substrates. The genus was originally circumscribed in 2013 with three species, but subsequent research, particularly a comprehensive revision by Wilk and Lücking in 2024, has significantly expanded its scope and refined its taxonomic boundaries. This revision included the synonymisation of the genus Fulgogasparrea with Wetmoreana based on molecular and morphological evidence.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 2013 by Ulf Arup, Ulrik Søchting, and Patrik Frödén, with Wetmoreana texana assigned as the type species. The genus name honours lichenologist Clifford Wetmore, "in appreciation of his major contributions to the knowledge of the North American Teloschistaceae". Initially, three species were included in the genus.[3]
In 2024, Karina Wilk and Robert Lücking revised the genus concept, synonymising Fulgogasparrea with Wetmoreana based on molecular and morphological evidence.[4]Fulgogasparrea had been circumscribed in 2013 by Sergey Kondratyuk and colleagues with Fulgogasparrea decipioides as the type species.[5] The genus name alluded to the resemblance of the type species to both Fulgensia (subfamily Caloplacoideae) and Gasparrinia (subfamily Xanthorioideae) within the Teloschistaceae.[5] Prior to its synonymisation, Fulgogasparrea comprised five species: F. appressa, F. awasthii, F.brouardii, F.decipioides, and F.intensa.[6] The revision by Wilk and Lücking effectively transferred these species to Wetmoreana, significantly expanding the scope of the genus.[4]
Ascospores are polaridiblastic with medium to long septa. The ascospore morphology varies among species, with septum thickness ranging from very thin (1–2μm in W.rubra) to noticeably thick (up to 9.0μm in W.appressa). Ascospore length also varies considerably across the genus.[3][4]
A distinctive feature of many Wetmoreana species is the presence of calcium oxalate crystals in the thallus medulla, often forming a limited layer at the base of the algal layer. In some species, these crystals form a relatively thin and distinct crystalline layer that separates the algal layer from the lower part of the crystal-free medulla. The presence and arrangement of these crystals can be an important diagnostic character for species identification.[4]
The upper cortex of the thallus is typically paraplectenchymatous or prosoplectenchymatous, and a necral layer may be present in some species. The algal layer can be continuous or discontinuous, with algae sometimes arranged in distinct columns or groups.[4]
Comparison to similar genera
Wetmoreana shares morphological similarities with several other genera in the Teloschistaceae, but can be distinguished by a combination of characteristics:
Squamulea: While some Wetmoreana species (e.g., W.brachyloba, W.sliwae) are squamulose and may resemble Squamulea, they differ in several key aspects. Wetmoreana typically has a prosoplectenchymatous apothecial exciple, while Squamulea has a paraplectenchymatous exciple. Wetmoreana also tends to have larger ascospores [(9)12–22μm vs. 8–15μm in Squamulea] and often lacks a prothallus, which is frequently present in Squamulea.[4]
Calogaya, Gyalolechia, and Teuvoahtiana: The lobate members of Wetmoreana differ from these genera in several ways. Wetmoreana species often have vegetative diaspores, less abundant and smaller apothecia (up to 0.9mm vs. 1.5mm in diameter), and regularly ellipsoid ascospores (as opposed to often broadly ellipsoid in the other genera). Additionally, when present, calcium oxalate crystals in Wetmoreana are typically located in the thalline medulla, whereas in these other genera, they are more often found in the thalline cortex.[4]
Cinnabaria: The sublobate Wetmoreana rubra is similar to Cinnabaria boliviana, but can be distinguished by its reddish (rather than yellowish) thallus colour, initially immersed but later erumpent apothecia (vs. persistently immersed in Cinnabaria), regularly ellipsoid ascospores (vs. widely ellipsoid), and long bacilliform conidia (vs. ovoid to short bacilliform).[4]
Wetmoreana species are exclusively saxicolous, meaning they grow on rocks. They are found predominantly on siliceous rocks, with some species also occurring on calcareous substrates. Some species, like W.rubra, are specifically found on calcareous rocks, while others such as W.ochraceofulva and W.variegata can grow on both siliceous and calcareous substrates. The genus has a wide geographical distribution, with species reported from the Americas, Africa, and parts of Asia, including the Arabian Peninsula and South Korea.[4]
These lichens demonstrate considerable altitudinal range, occurring from near sea level to high mountain environments. They have been recorded at elevations ranging from 20 to 4,500m (66 to 14,764ft) above sea level. Among the species, W.sliwae is notable for its presence at the highest altitudes, found between 3,500 and 4,500m (11,500 and 14,800ft). In contrast, species like W.appressa, W.awasthii, and W.decipioides occur at lower elevations up to 1000 m.[4]
Many Wetmoreana species are adapted to harsh environments and can be found in both exposed and shaded habitats. They are often found in semi-desert regions, high mountain areas, and other exposed habitats. For instance, W.sliwae has been collected in semi-desert, high mountain regions of Bolivia and Peru. Some species, like W.variegata, are known to occur in well-lit conditions. W. bahiensis is associated with dry forest habitats such as caatinga in Brazil.[4]
Wetmoreana species often grow in association with other lichen species. For example, W.variegata is sometimes found alongside Squamulea subsoluta. Wetmoreana species are sometimes parasitised by lichenicolous fungi, as observed in W.variegata.[4]
The distribution of individual species varies. For example, W.ochraceofulva is reported mainly from Africa, with isolated occurrences in the Arabian Peninsula and South America. In contrast, W.variegata appears to be confined to South America, having been recorded in Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.[4]
The taxonomic status with Wetmoreana appressa is complex and currently unresolved. Originally described as part of Wetmoreana, it was later transferred to Fulgogasparrea.[8] However, Wilk and Lücking found that the type specimen of W.appressa differs morphologically from the sequenced specimen labeled as W.appressa in GenBank. This suggests that the sequenced specimen may represent an undescribed species, indicating the need for further investigation to clarify the true identity and placement of W.appressa within Wetmoreana.[4]
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 its 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.
Wetmoreana decipioides is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in Gangwon Province, South Korea. This species was originally described in 2011 by Ulf Arup as a member of the large genus Caloplaca. The specific epithet decipioides refers to its similarity with Caloplaca decipiens. Arup and colleagues transferred it to genus Wetmoreana in 2013. It was briefly placed in the genus Fulgogasparrea later that year, but a study by Wilk and Lücking in 2024 synonymised Fulgogasparrea with Wetmoreana, confirming the placement of this species in Wetmoreana.
Gyalolechia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi belonging to the family Teloschistaceae. It contains 18 species of crustose lichens.
Flavoplaca is a genus of crust-like or scaly lichens in the family Teloschistaceae. It has 28 species with a mostly Northern Hemisphere distribution.
Xanthocarpia is a genus of mostly crustose lichens in the family Teloschistaceae. It has 12 species with a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution.
Igneoplaca is a genus in the subfamily Xanthorioideae of the family Teloschistaceae. It contains a single species, the crustose lichen Igneoplaca ignea.
Squamulea is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has 15 species. The genus was circumscribed in 2013 by Ulf Arup, Ulrik Søchting, and Patrik Frödén, with Squamulea subsoluta assigned as the type species. Five species were included in the original account of the genus. The genus name alludes to the squamulose growth form of most of its species. Squamulea has a worldwide distribution; when the genus was originally created, the centre of distribution was thought to be in southwestern North America.
Sirenophila is a genus of crustose lichens in the subfamily Teloschistoideae of the family Teloschistaceae. It has four species with an Australasian distribution.
Huneckia is a genus of crustose lichens in the subfamily Caloplacoideae of the family Teloschistaceae. It has four species.
Wetmoreana 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.
Niorma is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has six fruticose species, with N. derelicta assigned as the type species. The genus was originally proposed by Italian lichenologist Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo in 1861, but this and several other genera he proposed were largely ignored by later contemporaries. As part of a molecular phylogenetics-led restructuring of the teloschistoid clade of the subfamily Xanthorioideae in the Teloschistaceae, Sergey Kondratyuk and colleagues resurrected the genus for use about 150 years later. Genus Niorma comprises what was previously known as a species complex centred around the taxon previously known as Teloschistes hypoglaucus.
Elixjohnia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has four species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that occur in Australasia.
Marchantiana is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains seven species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichens that occur in the Southern Hemisphere.
Elixjohnia gallowayi is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It has a vividly coloured thallus, ranging in hues from bright red to reddish-orange. It is found in Australia.
Filsoniana kiamae is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in Australia. The lichen forms small rosettes with brownish-orange areoles, and it occasionally develops isidia. Its rare apothecia are round, with brownish-orange margins and a reddish disc.
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.
Fauriea trassii is a lichen species in the family Teloschistaceae, described in 2011. It is primarily found in the Far East of Russia, particularly in the Primorsky Krai region.
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.
Yoshimuria is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has four species of crustose lichens.
Elenkiniana is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has three species, all of which occur in Eurasia.
1 2 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.
1 2 Kondratyuk, S.; Jeong, M.-H.; Yu, N.-H.; Kärnefelt, I.; Thell, A.; Elix, J.; Kim, J.; Kondratyuk, A.; Hur, J.-S. (2013). "Four new genera of teloschistoid lichens (Teloschistaceae, Ascomycota) based on molecular phylogeny". Acta Botanica Hungarica. 55 (3–4): 251–274. doi:10.1556/abot.55.2013.3-4.8.
↑ Aptroot, André; dos Santos, Lidiane Alves; da Silva Cáceres, Marcela Eugenia (2021). "Saxicolous lichens in the semi-arid Caatinga in Brazil show substratum shifts". Cryptogamie, Mycologie. 42 (11): 181–189. doi:10.5252/cryptogamie-mycologie2021v42a11.
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