Trypetheliales » Trypetheliaceae » Astrothelium

Astrothelium conicum

Astrothelium conicum Eschw., Syst. Lich.: 26 (1824).

            Index Fungorum number: IF 377819; Facesoffungi number: FoF 12009, Fig. 1

Description:

Thallus corticate, smooth, shiny, continuous, reddish to yellowish brown, with a glossy prothallus line, not inducing galls on the substrate. Sexual morph: Ascomata 160–265 μm diam., 225–240 μm high, pyriform, aggregated semi-immersed to immersed in the bark tissue in pseudostromata which are not or hazily raised above the thallus and somewhat greyish and decorticated, partly covered by thallus. Ascomatal wall 20–25 μm carbonized, comprising brown cells of textura angularis. Ostioles 60–75 μm eccentric, fused, conical, covered by an orange epicuticular layer. Hamathecium 0.5–1.0 μm comprising trabeculae pseudoparaphyses, filiform, numerous, interspersed with asci. Asci 130–145 × 15–25 μm (x̄ = 137.9 × 21.9 µm, n = 10), 8-spored, bitunicate, cylindrical, with a long pedicel and indistinct ocular chamber. Ascospores 20–30 × 10–12 μm (x̄ = 28.6 × 11.0 µm, n = 10), 2–3-seriate, hyaline, 3-septate, fusiform, ends pointed, lumina diamond-shaped, not surrounded by a gelatinous layer. Secondary chemistry: not observed. Asexual morph: Unknown.

Material examined: France, French Guiana, on leaves or dead stem, 1824, Montagne J.P.F.C. (BR5030007048649).

 

Fig. 1 Astrothelium conicum (BR5030007048649). a, b Herbarium material and appearance of ascomata on the host substrate. c Section through ascomata. d Peridium. e Trabeculate pseudoparaphyses. f, g Asci. h–j Ascospores. Scale bars: c, g = 100 μm, d, e, h–j = 20 μm, f = 50 μm.

Importance and distribution

There are 261 Astrothelium epithets in Index Fungorum (2022), but sixteen members has been transferred to other genera such as Anthracothecium, Heufleria, Laurera, Lithothelium, Pyrenula and Trypetheliopsis. Astrothelium comprises 245 species known on tree bark in primary rain forest in Asia (India, Thailand) and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Guyana, Venezuela).

 

References

Harris RC. 1995 – More Florida Lichens: Including the 10c Tour of the Pyrenolichens. Bronx, New York: Privately Published.

Hyde KD, Jones EBG, Liu JK, Ariyawansa H et al. 2013 – Families of Dothideomycetes. Fungal Diversity 63, 1–313.

Lücking R, Nelsen MP, Aptroot A, Barillas de Klee R et al. 2016 – A phylogenetic framework for reassessing generic concepts and species delimitation in the lichenized family Trypetheliaceae (Ascomycota: Dothideomycetes). Lichenologist 48, 739–762.

Rivas Plata E, Lumbsch HT, Lücking R. 2012 – A new classification for the lichen family Graphidaceae s.lat. (Ascomycota: Lecanoromycetes: Ostropales). Fungal Diversity 52, 107–121.

Sweetwood G, Lücking R, Nelsen MP, Aptroot A. 2012 – Ascospore ontogeny and discharge in megalosporous Trypetheliaceae and Graphidaceae (Ascomycota: Dothideomycetes and Lecanoromycetes) suggest phylogenetic relationships and ecological constraints. Lichenologist 44, 277–296.

 

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