''Bryoria kockiana'' (Kock's horsehair lichen) is a species of

horsehair lichen ''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 ...

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 ...

. It is found in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, where it grows from the branches of

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 ...

trees.

Taxonomy

The lichen was described as a new species in 2013 by Saara Velmala, Leena Myllys, and Trevor Goward. The

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to a ...

was collected in

Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...

in July 2011. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''kockiana'' honours Henry Kock, a horticulturalist from

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

whose widow won an environmental fund-raising auction to purchase the right to name the species. It had previously been assigned to ''

Bryoria implexa ''Bryoria implexa'' is a species of horsehair lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. Habit ''Bryoria implexa'' has a dark brown or olive colour. The thallus is cylindrical and hairlike, 5–10 cm long and hanging. The main branches are 0,2-0,3 ...

'', but genetic analysis showed that this species is restricted in distribution to Europe and Asia, and its North America counterpart represented a different species. A later DNA study corroborated the validity of the species.

Description

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 ...

of ''Bryoria kockiana'', which hangs from branches, can grow up to . It is greyish brown or pale brown to brown in colour, which branches 0.1–0.2 mm in diameter.

Propagule In biology, a propagule is any material that functions in propagating an organism to the next stage in its life cycle, such as by dispersal. The propagule is usually distinct in form from the parent organism. Propagules are produced by organisms ...

s such as

soralia Soredia are common reproductive structures of lichens. Lichens reproduce asexually by employing simple fragmentation and production of soredia and isidia. Soredia are powdery propagules composed of fungal hyphae wrapped around cyanobacteria o ...

isidia An isidium is a vegetative reproductive structure present in some lichens. Isidia are outgrowths of the thallus surface, and are corticated (i.e., containing the outermost layer of the thallus), usually with a columnar structure, and consisting o ...

and

spinule Spinules are small spines or thorns (vertebral columns) that are part of biological and manmade structures. The word originates from the Latin word and is often used in botany and zoology. The presence or absence of spinules, and their shape, can ...

s are absent from the thallus.

Pseudocyphella Pseudocyphellae (singular ''pseudocyphella'') are structures in lichens that appear as tiny pores on the outer surface (the cortex of the lichen. They are caused when there is a break in the cortex of the lichen, and the medullary hyphae extend t ...

e (tiny pores that allow

gas exchange Gas exchange is the physical process by which gases move passively by Diffusion#Diffusion vs. bulk flow, diffusion across a surface. For example, this surface might be the air/water interface of a water body, the surface of a gas bubble in a liqui ...

) are brownish white to white, broad and elongated or filament-shaped and often raised somewhat, measuring 0.2–1.0 mm long by 0.1 mm wide.

Lichen spot test A spot test in lichenology is a spot analysis used to help identify lichens. It is performed by placing a drop of a chemical on different parts of the lichen and noting the colour change (or lack thereof) associated with application of the chemical ...

s for the thallus are K− or K+ pale yellow, C−, KC−, PD+ yellow; these reactions indicate the presence of the

secondary Secondary may refer to: Science and nature * Secondary emission, of particles ** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products * The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...

compounds

psoromic acid Psoromic acid is a β-orcinol depsidone with the molecular formula C18H14O8. Psoromic acid inhibits herpes simplex viruses type 1 and type 2. Furthermore, it inhibits the RabGGTase. Psoromic acid occurs in antarctic lichens A lichen ( , ) ...

, and sometimes also atranorin.

Habitat and distribution

''Bryoria kockiana'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to North America, where it grows on

branches. It has been recorded from Alaska and

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q23056118 kockiana Lichen species Lichens described in 2013 Lichens of Western Canada Lichens of Subarctic America Fungi without expected TNC conservation status Taxa named by Trevor Goward