''Bibbya'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

fruticose lichen A fruticose lichen is a form of lichen fungi that is characterized by a coral-like shrubby or bushy growth structure. It is formed from a symbiotic relationship of a photobiont such as green algae or less commonly cyanobacteria and one, two or mor ...

s in the family

Ramalinaceae The Ramalinaceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. The family name is synonymous with the name ''Bacidiaceae''. Species of this family have a widespread distribution. Genera *''Aciculopsora'' *''Adelolecia'' *'' Arthro ...

Taxonomy

The genus was

circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...

in 1956 by Australian botanist

James Hamlyn Willis James Hamlyn Willis (28 January 1910 – 10 November 1995) was an Australian botanist. He described 64 new species of plants, and published more than 880 works including the landmark two-volume ''A Handbook to plants in Victoria'' between 1962 ...

, with ''

Bibbya muelleri ''Bibbya'' is a genus of fruticose lichens in the family Ramalinaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed in 1956 by Australian botanist James Hamlyn Willis, with '' Bibbya muelleri'' assigned as the type species. The generic name honours Patr ...

'' assigned as the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

. The generic name honours Patrick Noel Sumner Bibby (1907–1955), a colleague with whom Willis had collaborated, and who had died the year previously. In 1992, Einer Timdal included ''Bibbya'' in ''

Toninia ''Toninia'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Ramalinaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo (13 May 1824 – 25 May 1860) was an Italian paleobotanist and lichenologist ...

''. The genus was resurrected in 2018 after a comprehensive

molecular phylogeny Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

of the family

. The authors transferred several species previously placed in genus ''Toninia'', as well as one previously placed in ''

Bacidia ''Bacidia'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Ramalinaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Giuseppe De Notaris in 1846. Species in the genus are crust-like lichens with stemless apothecia; they have green algae (chloroccoid) as p ...

''.

Description

''Bibbya'' is characterized by the presence of a reddish-brown

pigment A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compo ...

in the epithecium (the tissue layer above the

asci ASCI or Asci may refer to: * Advertising Standards Council of India * Asci, the plural of ascus, in fungal anatomy * Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative * American Society for Clinical Investigation * Argus Sour Crude Index * Association of ...

) and in the rim of the exciple (the ring-like structure surrounding the

apothecium An ascocarp, or ascoma (), is the fruiting body ( sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded asci, each of which typically contains four to eight ascospores. Ascocarps are ...

). The

thallus Thallus (plural: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. Many of these organisms wer ...

varies in form from

crustose Crustose is a habit of some types of algae and lichens in which the organism grows tightly appressed to a substrate, forming a biological layer. ''Crustose'' adheres very closely to the substrates at all points. ''Crustose'' is found on rocks and ...

squamulose A squamulose lichen is a lichen that is composed of small, often overlapping "scales" called squamules. If they are raised from the substrate and appear leafy, the lichen may appear to be a foliose lichen, but the underside does not have a "skin ...

or bullate (covered with rounded swellings like blisters). The

ascospore An ascus (; ) is the sexual spore-bearing cell produced in ascomycete fungi. Each ascus usually contains eight ascospores (or octad), produced by meiosis followed, in most species, by a mitotic cell division. However, asci in some genera or s ...

s range in shape from

ellipsoid An ellipsoid is a surface that may be obtained from a sphere by deforming it by means of directional scalings, or more generally, of an affine transformation. An ellipsoid is a quadric surface; that is, a surface that may be defined as the ...

with a single

septum In biology, a septum (Latin for ''something that encloses''; plural septa) is a wall, dividing a cavity or structure into smaller ones. A cavity or structure divided in this way may be referred to as septate. Examples Human anatomy * Interatri ...

, to filiform (threadlike) with multiple septa.

Species

The following list gives the species of ''Bibbya'', followed by their

taxonomic authority In biology, taxonomy () is the scientific study of naming, defining ( circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxa (singular: taxon) and these groups are given ...

(standardized author abbreviations are used), year of publication (or year transferred to the genus ''Bibbya''), and type locality. *''

Bibbya albomarginata ''Bibbya'' is a genus of fruticose lichens in the family Ramalinaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed in 1956 by Australian botanist James Hamlyn Willis, with ''Bibbya muelleri'' assigned as the type species. The generic name honours Patri ...

'' – Peru *''

Bibbya australis ''Bibbya'' is a genus of fruticose lichens in the family Ramalinaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed in 1956 by Australian botanist James Hamlyn Willis, with ''Bibbya muelleri'' assigned as the type species. The generic name honours Patri ...

'' –

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

*''

Bibbya austroafricana ''Bibbya'' is a genus of fruticose lichens in the family Ramalinaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed in 1956 by Australian botanist James Hamlyn Willis, with ''Bibbya muelleri'' assigned as the type species. The generic name honours Patri ...

'' –

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...

*''

Bibbya bullata ''Bibbya'' is a genus of fruticose lichens in the family Ramalinaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed in 1956 by Australian botanist James Hamlyn Willis, with ''Bibbya muelleri'' assigned as the type species. The generic name honours Patri ...

'' – Chile/Peru *''

Bibbya glaucocarpa ''Bibbya'' is a genus of fruticose lichens in the family Ramalinaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed in 1956 by Australian botanist James Hamlyn Willis, with ''Bibbya muelleri'' assigned as the type species. The generic name honours Patri ...

'' –

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...

*''

Bibbya hosseusiana ''Bibbya'' is a genus of fruticose lichens in the family Ramalinaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed in 1956 by Australian botanist James Hamlyn Willis, with ''Bibbya muelleri'' assigned as the type species. The generic name honours Patri ...

'' –

Córdoba, Argentina Córdoba () is a city in central Argentina, in the foothills of the Punilla Valley, Sierras Chicas on the Primero River, Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province, Argentina, Córdoba Province a ...

*''

Bibbya lutosa ''Bibbya'' is a genus of fruticose lichens in the family Ramalinaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed in 1956 by Australian botanist James Hamlyn Willis, with ''Bibbya muelleri'' assigned as the type species. The generic name honours Patri ...

'' – Switzerland *''

'' –

Victoria (Australia) Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in ...

*'' Bibbya ruginosa'' –

Oakland Hills, Oakland, California Oakland Hills is an informal term used to indicate the city neighborhoods lying within the eastern portion of Oakland, California. The northernmost neighborhoods were devastated by the Oakland firestorm of 1991. Geography The geologic feat ...

*'' Bibbya subcircumspecta'' – Scotland *'' Bibbya vermifera'' – Sweden

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q59938711 Ramalinaceae Lichen genera Lecanorales genera Taxa described in 1956 Taxa named by James Hamlyn Willis