''Bryoria'' 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 ...

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

in the family

Parmeliaceae The Parmeliaceae is a large and diverse family of Lecanoromycetes. With over 2700 species in 71 genera, it is the largest family of lichen-forming fungi. The most speciose genera in the family are the well-known groups: '' Xanthoparmelia'' ( 822 ...

. Many members of this genus are known as horsehair lichens. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in

boreal Boreal may refer to: Climatology and geography *Boreal (age), the first climatic phase of the Blytt-Sernander sequence of northern Europe, during the Holocene epoch *Boreal climate, a climate characterized by long winters and short, cool to mild ...

and cool

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

areas.

Taxonomy

''Bryoria'' 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 1977 by lichenologists Irwin Brodo and David Hawksworth, with ''

Bryoria trichodes ''Bryoria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Parmeliaceae. Many members of this genus are known as horsehair lichens. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in boreal and cool temperate areas. Taxonomy ''Bryoria'' was c ...

'' 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 ...

Description

''Bryoria'' species are

fruticose 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 ...

, slender and hair-like, tending to grow hanging (pendent) or like a small bush. They range in colour from dark brown to pale greyish brown to grey in some species.

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 are colourless,

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 ...

, numbering eight per

ascus 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 ...

. Other hair-like lichens that may be confused with ''Bryoria'' include dark brown species of ''

Bryocaulon ''Bryocaulon'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Parmeliaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution in north temperate regions, and contains three species. The genus was circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed by Swedish lichenol ...

'', ''

Nodobryoria ''Nodobryoria'' is a genus of medium to large, reddish-brown lichens that are hair-like to shrubby in shape and grow on conifer trees. The genus contains three species, distributed in North America and Greenland, which were previously included ...

'', ''

Pseudephebe ''Pseudephebe'' is a genus of fruticose lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. It contains three species that saxicolous lichen, grow on rocks. Taxonomy ''Pseudephebe'' was circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed by French lichenologist Maurice ...

'', '' Alectoria'', or ''

Cetraria ''Cetraria'' is a genus of fruticose lichens that associate with green algae as photobionts. Most species are found at high latitudes, occurring on sand or heath. Species have a characteristic "strap-like" form, with spiny lobe edges. '' Cetra ...

''.

Habitat and distribution

Found almost exclusively on

conifer Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...

s, or on tundra soil, ''Bryoria'' collectively has a widespread distribution, especially in

and cool

areas.

Species

*''

Bryoria alaskana ''Bryoria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Parmeliaceae. Many members of this genus are known as horsehair lichens. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in boreal and cool temperate areas. Taxonomy ''Bryoria'' was c ...

'' Goward & Myllys (2016) *''

Bryoria araucana ''Bryoria araucana'' is a species of lichen in the genus ''Bryoria''. Etymology ''Bryoria araucana'' was named after the IX Región de la Araucanía in Chile, which is the only known area for the species, as was the case in the name ''Araucaria ...

'' Boluda, D.Hawksw. & V.J.Rico (2015) – Chile *''

Bryoria barbata ''Bryoria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Parmeliaceae. Many members of this genus are known as horsehair lichens. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in boreal and cool temperate areas. Taxonomy ''Bryoria'' was ...

'' Li S.Wang & D.Liu (2017) – China *''

Bryoria bicolor ''Bryoria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Parmeliaceae. Many members of this genus are known as horsehair lichens. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in boreal and cool temperate areas. Taxonomy ''Bryoria'' was c ...

'' (Hoffm.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) – Electric horsehair lichen *''

Bryoria capillaris ''Bryoria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Parmeliaceae. Many members of this genus are known as horsehair lichens. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in boreal and cool temperate areas. Taxonomy ''Bryoria'' was c ...

'' (Ach.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) *''

Bryoria carlottae ''Bryoria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Parmeliaceae. Many members of this genus are known as horsehair lichens. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in boreal and cool temperate areas. Taxonomy ''Bryoria'' was c ...

'' – Languid horsehair lichen *''

Bryoria cervinula ''Bryoria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Parmeliaceae. Many members of this genus are known as horsehair lichens. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in boreal and cool temperate areas. Taxonomy ''Bryoria'' was c ...

'' – Mottled horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria chalybeiformis'' (L.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) *'' Bryoria fastigiata'' Li S.Wang & H.Harada (2006) *'' Bryoria forsteri'' Olech & Bystrek (2004) – Antarctica *''

Bryoria fremontii ''Bryoria fremontii'' is a dark brown, horsehair lichen that grows hanging from trees in western North America, and northern Europe and Asia. It grows abundantly in some areas, and is an important traditional food for a few First Nations in Nor ...

'' (Tuck.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) – Edible horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria friabilis'' – Friable horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria fruticulosa'' Li S.Wang & Myllys (2017) – China *'' Bryoria furcellata'' (Fr.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) – Burred horsehair lichen *''

Bryoria fuscescens ''Bryoria fuscescens'' is a species of lichen of the family Parmeliaceae. As of July 2021, its conservation status has not been estimated by the IUCN. In Iceland, where it grows as an epiphyte on downy birch stems and branches, it is classified ...

'' (Gyeln.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) – Pale-footed horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria glabra'' – Shiny horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria hengduanensis'' Li S.Wang & H.Harada (2003) – China *'' Bryoria implexa'' (Hoffm.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) *'' Bryoria inactiva'' Goward, Velmala & Myllys (2013) *'' Bryoria irwinii'' Goward & Myllys (2016) *'' Bryoria kockiana'' Velmala, Myllys & Goward (2013) – Kock's horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria lanestris'' (Ach.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) *''

Bryoria nadvornikiana ''Bryoria nadvornikiana'', commonly known as the spiny grey horsehair lichen or the blonde horsehair lichen, is a species of horsehair lichen in the family Parmeliaceae The Parmeliaceae is a large and diverse family of Lecanoromycetes. With o ...

'' (Gyeln.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) – Blonde horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria nitidula'' (Th. Fr.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) – Tundra horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria pikei'' – Streaked horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria pseudofuscescens'' (Gyeln.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) – Mountain horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria rigida'' P.M.Jørg. & Myllys (2012) – Asia *'' Bryoria salazinica'' – Salazinic acid horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria simplicior'' – Spangled horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria smithii'' (Du Rietz) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) *'' Bryoria subcana'' (Nyl. ex Stizenb.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) *'' Bryoria tenuis'' (E.Dahl) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) – Pied horsehair lichen) *''

'' (Michx.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) – Inelegant horsehair lichen *'' Bryoria vrangiana'' (Gyeln.) Brodo & D.Hawksw. (1977) *'' Bryoria wui'' Li S.Wang (2017) – China *'' Bryoria yunnanensis'' Li S.Wang & Xin Y.Wang (2017) – China

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4353139 * Lichen genera Lecanorales genera Taxa described in 1977 Taxa named by David Leslie Hawksworth Taxa named by Irwin Brodo

Taxonomy

Description

Habitat and distribution

Species

See also

References