The Caliciaceae are a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of mostly
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 ...]
belonging to the
class
Class or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
* Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...
Lecanoromycetes
Lecanoromycetes is the largest class of lichenized fungi. It belongs to the subphylum Pezizomycotina in the phylum Ascomycota. The asci (spore-bearing cells) of the Lecanoromycetes most often release spores by rostrate dehiscence.
Genera of unc ...
in the
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
Ascomycota
Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The def ...
. Although the family has had its classification changed several times throughout its
taxonomic
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
history, the use of modern
molecular phylogenetic
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 ...
methods have helped to establish its current placement in the order
Caliciales
Caliciales is an order of mostly lichenized fungi in the class Lecanoromycetes. It consists of two families: Caliciaceae and Physciaceae, which together contain 54 genera and more than 1200 species. The order was circumscribed by American botani ...
. Caliciaceae contains 36
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
and about 600 species. The largest genus is ''
Buellia
''Buellia'' is a genus of mostly lichen-forming fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The fungi are usually part of a crustose lichen. In this case, the lichen species is given the same name as the fungus. But members may also grow as parasites on li ...
'', with around
300 species; there are more than a dozen genera that
contain only a single species.
Most Caliciaceae grow on
bark,
dead wood
''Dead Wood'' is a 2007 British horror film, written, produced and directed by Richard Stiles and David Bryant and starring Emily Juniper, Fergus March, Rebecca Craven, Nina Kwok and John Samuel Worsey with Bryant appearing in a small role. ''D ...
, or
rocks
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks form the Earth's ...
. Some members of this family, particularly those of the
type genus
In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name.
Zoological nomenclature
According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal f ...
, ''
Calicium
''Calicium'' is a genus of leprose lichens. It is in the family Caliciaceae.
The sexual reproduction structures are a mass of loose ascospores that are enclosed by a cup shaped exciple sitting on top of a tiny stalk, having the appearance of ...
'', are characterized by the presence of thin-walled and short-lasting
asci (spore-bearing cells) and a mazaedium, which is an accumulation of loose, maturing
spore
In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...
s covering the surface of the
fruiting body
The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...
. The resulting passive spore dispersal is relatively rare amongst the Ascomycota. The mazaedium, usually black, either sits atop a long thin stalk, or rests on (or is sometimes immersed within) the surface of the lichen
substrate. Many other Caliciaceae species generate spores in an
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 ...
, which typically resembles a flattened black disc.
The family contains species with
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 ...
(crusty),
foliose
Foliose lichen is one of the morphological classes of lichens, which are complex organisms that arise from the symbiotic relationship between fungi and a photosynthetic partner, typically algae. This partnership allows lichen to live in diverse ...
(leafy), and, in a few instances,
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 ...
(shrubby) growth forms. The
photobiont
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.[green alga
The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga as ...]
l genus ''
Trebouxia
''Trebouxia'' is a unicellular green alga.Silverside, A. J. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.bioref.lastdragon.org/Chlorophyta/''Trebouxia''.html It is a photosynthetic organism that can exist in almost all habitats found in polar, tropical, and ...
''. Collectively, the family has a
cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...
, and can be found on all major land masses. Although the family is best represented in mountainous areas of
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 ...
and
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
regions, a few hardy species can survive the harsh environment offered by Antarctica's
McMurdo Dry Valleys
The McMurdo Dry Valleys are a row of largely snow-free valleys in Antarctica, located within Victoria Land west of McMurdo Sound. The Dry Valleys experience extremely low humidity and surrounding mountains prevent the flow of ice from nearby ...
by growing in cracks on the surface of rocks. Five Caliciaceae species are included in the
International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. Some
air pollution
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...
-resistant species in the genus ''
Pyxine
''Pyxine'' is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Caliciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution in tropical regions.
The presence or absence of the compound lichexanthone is a character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts ...
'' have been investigated for use as
biomonitor
A bioindicator is any species (an indicator species) or group of species whose function, population, or status can reveal the qualitative status of the environment. The most common indicator species are animals. For example, copepods and other sm ...
s of
heavy metal pollution. Several fossils of Caliciaceae found as inclusions in
amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In Ma ...
have been used to evaluate the
evolutionary history
The history of life on Earth traces the processes by which living and fossil organisms evolved, from the earliest emergence of life to present day. Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago (abbreviated as ''Ga'', for ''gigaannum'') and evide ...
of the family.
Systematics
Caliciaceae 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 1826 by the French botanist
François Fulgis Chevallier. He wrote about the family: "The Calicinees are a small group of plants, the growth of which has misled botanists. They are small parasitic fungi on the crusts of lichens, mainly on ''Variola'' and common porin, and on dead canes."
The
type genus
In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name.
Zoological nomenclature
According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal f ...
of the Caliciaceae is ''
Calicium
''Calicium'' is a genus of leprose lichens. It is in the family Caliciaceae.
The sexual reproduction structures are a mass of loose ascospores that are enclosed by a cup shaped exciple sitting on top of a tiny stalk, having the appearance of ...
'', originally
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 1794 by
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1 February 1761 – 16 November 1836) was a German mycologist who made additions to Linnaeus' mushroom taxonomy.
Early life
Persoon was born in South Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, the third child of an immig ...
; this genus is itself
typified
Typification is a process of creating standard (''typical'') social construction based on standard assumptions. Discrimination based on typification is called typism.
See also
*Ideal type
*Normal type
*Typology
Typology is the study of types or ...
by ''
Calicium viride
''Calicium viride'', commonly known as the green stubble lichen, is a species of pin lichen in the family Caliciaceae, and the type species of the genus ''Calicium''. It is a common and widely distributed species in temperate areas of the North ...
''.
Buelliaceae and Pyxinaceae are historical families created to contain
taxa
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...
that are now included in the Caliciaceae.
Two other calicioid families with "Caliciaceae" in their name –
Microcaliciaceae
''Microcalicium'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the order Pertusariales. It is the only genus in the monotypic family Microcaliciaceae. These taxa were circumscribed by the Finnish lichenologist Edvard August Vainio in 1927, with '' Micr ...
(order
Pertusariales
The Pertusariales are an order of fungi in the class Lecanoromycetes. It contains the following families: Agyriaceae
The Agyriaceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Pertusariales. It contains two genera: ''Agyrium
''Agyri ...
, class
Lecanoromycetes
Lecanoromycetes is the largest class of lichenized fungi. It belongs to the subphylum Pezizomycotina in the phylum Ascomycota. The asci (spore-bearing cells) of the Lecanoromycetes most often release spores by rostrate dehiscence.
Genera of unc ...
) and
Mycocaliciaceae
The Mycocaliciaceae are a family (biology), family of seven genus, genera and about 90 species of fungi in the order Mycocaliciales.
Taxonomy
Calicioid fungi are a heterogeneous assemblage of fungi sharing the presence of a mazaedium, a structur ...
(order
Mycocaliciales
The ''Mycocaliciales'' are an order (biology), order of ascomycetous fungi within the subclass Mycocaliciomycetidae and within the class Eurotiomycetes (subphylum Pezizomycotina).
References
Eurotiomycetes
Ascomycota orders
Taxa describe ...
, class
Eurotiomycetes
Eurotiomycetes is a large class of ascomycetes with cleistothecial ascocarps within the subphylum Pezizomycotina, currently containing around 3810 species according to the Catalogue of Life. It is the third largest lichen
A lichen ( , ) is ...
) – contain species formerly considered to be closely related to the Caliciaceae. The
monogeneric
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...
Microcaliciaceae has non-lichenized, calicioid species that are parasites on lichens or free-living colonies of algae, while Mycocaliciaceae contains non-lichenized calicioid fungi lacking a mazaedium and utilising active spore dispersal.
Classification
The Caliciaceae and other morphologically similar
pin lichen
Lichens are wikt:composite, composite organisms made up of multiple species: a fungus, fungal partner, one or more photosynthetic partners, and sometimes a yeast, basidiomycete yeast. They are regularly grouped by their external appearance – a c ...
s with mazaedium-forming ascomata featuring passive spore dispersal used to be grouped together in the order Caliciales, which was for a long time considered to be a model example of a
monophyletic
In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
grouping of taxa.
Historically, the family has also been placed by various authors in the orders
Coryneliales,
Helotiales
Helotiales is an order of the class Leotiomycetes within the division Ascomycota. The taxonomy within Helotiales has been debated. It has expanded significantly as genomic techniques for taxonomical identification have become more commonly used. ...
, and the now-obsolete Sphaeriales, depending on which
phenotypic
In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology or physical form and structure, its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological proper ...
characteristics were considered to be the most important.
The Swedish lichenologist
Leif Tibell
Leif Tibell (born 16 November 1944) is a Swedish lichenologist and Emeritus Professor at the University of Uppsala. He is known for his expertise on calicioid lichens. He was awarded the Acharius Medal in 2012 for lifetime achievements in lich ...
spent much of his career studying calicioid lichens, and used a variety of techniques to help him understand relationships of taxa in this group,
including
phenetic
In biology, phenetics ( el, phainein – to appear) , also known as taximetrics, is an attempt to classify organisms based on overall similarity, usually in morphology or other observable traits, regardless of their phylogeny or evolutionary rel ...
and
cladistic
Cladistics (; ) is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups (" clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is typically shared derived char ...
analyses of
morphology
Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to:
Disciplines
* Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts
* Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies ...
, and investigation of
secondary chemistry. He suggested in 1984 that the order was
polyphyletic
A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of converg ...
(i.e., it did not originate from a single
common ancestor
Common descent is a concept in evolutionary biology applicable when one species is the ancestor of two or more species later in time. All living beings are in fact descendants of a unique ancestor commonly referred to as the last universal comm ...
) and that the main identifying features of the Caliciales had
evolved
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation t ...
independently in several different unrelated groups.
He restricted the order to three families (Caliciaceae,
Mycocaliciaceae
The Mycocaliciaceae are a family (biology), family of seven genus, genera and about 90 species of fungi in the order Mycocaliciales.
Taxonomy
Calicioid fungi are a heterogeneous assemblage of fungi sharing the presence of a mazaedium, a structur ...
, and
Sphinctrinaceae
The Sphinctrinaceae are a family of fungi in the order Mycocaliciales
The ''Mycocaliciales'' are an order (biology), order of ascomycetous fungi within the subclass Mycocaliciomycetidae and within the class Eurotiomycetes (subphylum Pezizomyco ...
) that he considered to be the "core" of the group.
Preliminary
phylogenetic
In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...
analysis showed that Mycocaliciaceae and Sphinctrinaceae belonged to the class
Eurotiomycetes
Eurotiomycetes is a large class of ascomycetes with cleistothecial ascocarps within the subphylum Pezizomycotina, currently containing around 3810 species according to the Catalogue of Life. It is the third largest lichen
A lichen ( , ) is ...
, while Caliciaceae appeared to group with the order
Lecanorales
The Lecanorales are an order of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. The order contains 26 families, 269 genera, and 5695 species.
Families
* Aphanopsidaceae
* Biatorellaceae
* Brigan ...
.
The proposition that mazaediate fungi are dispersed throughout the Ascomycota was confirmed later in several molecular phylogenetic studies.
The six genera that were included by Tibell in the Caliciaceae in his 1984 proposed classification of calicioid fungi (''
Acroscyphus'', ''
Calicium
''Calicium'' is a genus of leprose lichens. It is in the family Caliciaceae.
The sexual reproduction structures are a mass of loose ascospores that are enclosed by a cup shaped exciple sitting on top of a tiny stalk, having the appearance of ...
'', ''
Cyphelium'', ''
Texosporium'', ''
Thelomma
''Thelomma'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus is widely distributed and contains seven species. ''Thelomma'' was circumscribed by Italian lichenologist Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo
Abramo Bartolommeo Massalo ...
'', and ''
Tholurna
''Tholurna'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus is monotypic, containing the single species ''Tholurna dissimilis''. This species was first described by Johannes Musaeus Norman as ''Podocratera dissimilis'' in 1 ...
'')
are still in the family today.
Phylogenetics
The Caliciaceae and the
Physciaceae
The Physciaceae are a family of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. A 2016 estimate placed 19 genera and 601 species in the family.
Genera
This is a list of the genera contained within ...
were shown to be closely related in molecular studies.
Both of these families were tentatively placed in the
Teloschistales
The Teloschistales are an order of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. According to one 2008 estimate, the order contains 5 families, 66 genera, and 1954 species. The predominant photobi ...
as part of the suborder Physciineae.
Since the mazaedia-producing species of the Caliciaceae were nested within the genera ''
Dirinaria
''Dirinaria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropi ...
'', ''
Pyxine
''Pyxine'' is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Caliciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution in tropical regions.
The presence or absence of the compound lichexanthone is a character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts ...
'', and ''
Physcia
''Physcia'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Physciaceae. The genus name means "inflated" or "sausage-like", referring to the form of the type species. According to a 2008 estimate, the widespread genus contains 73 species.
Species
...
'' (all once contained in the family Physciaceae), some authors treated all the members of the Caliciaceae and Physciaceae as one family, and the name Physciaceae was proposed for
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...
in 2002.
With the appearance of additional phylogenetic studies since then, however, a two-family concept of Caliciaceae and Physciaceae has been preferred by most authorities. In 2012, the suborder Physciineae was promoted to ordinal status and the name Caliciales was resurrected.
In its modern circumscription, the order Caliciales contains these two families.
A large molecular study of the Caliciaceae-Physciaceae
clade
A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
published in 2016 has helped to sort out natural relationships in this group, and more clearly define generic delimitations.
The genus ''
Culbersonia
''Culbersonia'' is a fungal genus in the family Caliciaceae. This is a monotypic genus, containing the single foliose lichen ''Culbersonia nubila'' (formerly called ''Culbersonia americana''). This species, which grows on trees and rocks, is foun ...
'', previously classified in the Physiaceae because of its morphological resemblance to ''
Physconia
''Physconia'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Physciaceae. It has about 25 species. The genus was circumscribed by Czech lichenologist Josef Poelt in 1965, with ''Physconia pulverulenta'' assigned as the type species.
Species
*' ...
'', was shown to be a member of the Caliciaceae in 2019. In phylogenetic analysis, it groups together in a
clade
A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
with ''
Pyxine
''Pyxine'' is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Caliciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution in tropical regions.
The presence or absence of the compound lichexanthone is a character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts ...
'' and ''
Dirinaria
''Dirinaria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropi ...
''. These three genera are distinguished from other Caliciaceae in the appressed
foliose
Foliose lichen is one of the morphological classes of lichens, which are complex organisms that arise from the symbiotic relationship between fungi and a photosynthetic partner, typically algae. This partnership allows lichen to live in diverse ...
growth form (like small leaves pressed flat against the substrate), the absence of a mazaedium, and ecologically by their predominance in the
subtropic
The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north and ...
s and
tropic
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
s.
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 ...
, when present, is
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 ...
, with a texture that is verrucose (warty), granular (grainy), or
areolate
Lichens are composite organisms made up of multiple species: a fungal partner, one or more photosynthetic partners, and sometimes a basidiomycete yeast. They are regularly grouped by their external appearance – a characteristic known as their ...
. Its colour is typically grey, yellow, or greenish. Sometimes it is immersed within the outer layers of the bark of its host. The
ascomata
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 mo ...
are more or less spherical or hemispherical, situated atop a long stalk in some species, but
sessile
Sessility, or sessile, may refer to:
* Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about
* Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant
* Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...
in other species. When it is present, the stalk is usually melanized (blackened).
The form of the ascomata is either apotheciate (consisting of an
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 ...
) or mazaediate.
The apothecium consists of the
asci (spore-bearing cells) and associated
hymenium
The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some ...
, and the sterile, structural, and supportive part of the apothecium, called the excipulum. In apotheciate Caliciaceae species, the apothecium is typically lecidiene (lacking a margin around the thallus, or having a margin made of the excipulum itself), rather than lecanorine (rounded with a protruding margin). The tissue structure of the excipulum is either prosoplectenchymatous (comprising long, narrow, wavy, parallel hyphae) or paraplectenchymatous (a cell arrangement where the hyphae are oriented in all directions), and is
hyaline
A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from el, ὑάλινος, translit=hyálinos, lit=transparent, and el, ὕαλος, translit=hýalos, lit=crystal, glass, label=none.
Histopathology
Hyaline cartilage is ...
(translucent) to dark brown.
The genus ''
Acroscyphus'', which contains the single widespread but rare species ''A. sphaerophoroides'', is a peculiar exception to the typical morphology of the Caliciaceae: it has a finger-like (dactyliform) thallus, immersed ascocarps on
podetia
A podetium (plural: podetia) is the upright secondary thallus in ''Cladonia'' lichens. It is a hollow stalk extending from the primary thallus. Podetia can be pointed stalks, club like, cupped, or branched in shape and may or may not contain the a ...
(hollow stalks), and a yellow to orange
medulla
Medulla or Medullary may refer to:
Science
* Medulla oblongata, a part of the brain stem
* Renal medulla, a part of the kidney
* Adrenal medulla, a part of the adrenal gland
* Medulla of ovary, a stroma in the center of the ovary
* Medulla of th ...
.
![Buellia disciformis-4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Buellia_disciformis-4.jpg)
The asci of Caliciaceae species are cylindrical to broadly club-shaped. They are attached to
crozier
A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholi ...
s, which are hook-shaped structures on cells that form at the base of the asci. The asci have thin walls and lack any internal structures at the tip. As a result, they last for only a short time before they degrade, and the ascospores within are released passively in a mazaedial mass.
The hamathecium (a term that refers to the tissues interspersed between the asci in the
hymenium
The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some ...
) consists of unbranched to slightly branched
paraphyses
Paraphyses are erect sterile filament-like support structures occurring among the reproductive apparatuses of fungi, ferns, bryophytes and some thallophytes. The singular form of the word is paraphysis.
In certain fungi, they are part of the fe ...
that are
amyloid
Amyloids are aggregates of proteins characterised by a Fibril, fibrillar morphology of 7–13 Nanometer, nm in diameter, a beta sheet (β-sheet) Secondary structure of proteins, secondary structure (known as cross-β) and ability to be Staining, ...
.
There are usually eight spores per ascus, although sometimes this is reduced to four, or increased to 16–32 per ascus.
The ascospores are dark brown, with a surface that is either smooth or ornamented with remnants from the rupture of the outer wall layers. They have either zero or one
septa
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...
.
The spores of ''
Texosporium'' lichens have a unique ornamentation that is created by paraphyses that stick to the surface; this feature may help provide protection against desiccation or
DNA-damaging radiation encountered when exposed in sunny habitats.
The
conidiomata Conidiomata (singular: Conidioma) are blister-like fruiting structures produced by a specific type of fungus called a coelomycete. They are formed as a means of dispersing asexual spores call conidia, which they accomplish by creating the blister-l ...
produced by Caliciaceae species are in the form of
pycnidia
A pycnidium (plural pycnidia) is an asexual fruiting body produced by mitosporic fungi, for instance in the order Sphaeropsidales ( Deuteromycota, Coelomycetes) or order Pleosporales (Ascomycota, Dothideomycetes). It is often spherical or inve ...
. The
conidia
A conidium ( ; ), sometimes termed an asexual chlamydospore or chlamydoconidium (), is an asexual, non-motile spore of a fungus. The word ''conidium'' comes from the Ancient Greek word for dust, ('). They are also called mitospores due to the ...
lack a septum, are rod-shaped (bacillar) to thread-shaped (filiform) in form (often curved), and are hyaline.
The
secondary chemistry of Caliciaceae species is variable. Chemicals that are commonly reported from the family are
depside
A depside is a type of polyphenolic compound composed of two or more monocyclic aromatic units linked by an ester bond. Depsides are most often found in lichens, but have also been isolated from higher plants, including species of the Ericaceae, L ...
s (including
atranorin
Atranorin is a chemical substance produced by some species of lichen. It is a secondary metabolite belonging to a group of compounds known as depsides. Atranorin has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic, antioxidant, ...
),
terpene
Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n > 1. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predominantly by plants, particularly conifers. Terpenes ar ...
s,
depsidone
Depsidones (+ " depside" + "one") are chemical compounds that are sometimes found as secondary metabolites in lichens. They are esters that are both depsides and cyclic ethers. An example is norstictic acid
Norstictic acid is a depsidone produc ...
s (e.g.,
norstictic acid
Norstictic acid is a depsidone produced as a secondary metabolite
Secondary metabolites, also called specialised metabolites, toxins, secondary products, or natural products, are organic compounds produced by any lifeform, e.g. bacteria, fun ...
), and
lichexanthone
Lichexanthone is an organic compound in the structural class of chemicals known as xanthones. Lichexanthone was first isolated and identified by Japanese chemists from a species of leafy lichen in the 1940s. The compound is known to occur in ma ...
. Sometimes
anthraquinone
Anthraquinone, also called anthracenedione or dioxoanthracene, is an aromatic organic compound with formula . Isomers include various quinone derivatives. The term anthraquinone however refers to the isomer, 9,10-anthraquinone (IUPAC: 9,10-dioxo ...
s are present when the thallus is
pigmented.
''Acroscyphus'' is again an exception, as it contains secondary compounds not found in other Caliciaceae, including
chloroatranorin,
rugulosin,
zeorin, and
chrysophanic acid
Chrysophanol, also known as chrysophanic acid, is a fungal isolate and a natural anthraquinone. It is a C-3 methyl substituted chrysazin of the trihydroxyanthraquinone family.
Chrysophanol (other names; 1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl-anthraquinone and c ...
.
Genera
,
Species Fungorum
''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal names (scientific names) in the fungus kingdom. the project is based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, one of three partners along with Landcare Research and the Institute of Mi ...
accepts 36 genera, 589 species, 2
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
, and 11
forms
Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens.
Form also refers to:
*Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data
* ...
in the family Caliciaceae.
This is a list of the genera in the Caliciaceae, based on a 2020 review and summary of fungal
classification Classification is a process related to categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood.
Classification is the grouping of related facts into classes.
It may also refer to:
Business, organizat ...
by Wijayawardene and colleagues.
Following the genus name is the
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 ...
(those who first circumscribed the genus; standardized
author abbreviations are used), year of publication, and the number of species:
*''
Acolium
''Acolium'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae
The Caliciaceae are a family of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. Although the family has had its classificati ...
''
– 5 spp.
*''
Acroscyphus''
– 1 sp.
*''
Allocalicium
''Allocalicium'' is a lichen genus in the family Caliciaceae. It is monotypic, containing the single pin lichen species ''Allocalicium adaequatum''.
Taxonomy
''Allocalicium'' was circumscribed in 2016 by lichenologists Maria Prieto and Mats We ...
''
– 1 sp.
*''
Amandinea
''Amandinea'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. Genetic studies indicates that the genus ''Amandinea'' and '' Buellia'' are the same,Scheidegger, C. 2009. Amandinea Choisy ex Scheid. & H. Mayrhofer (1993). In: C. W. Smith ...
''
– 35 spp.
*''
Australiaena
''Australiaena'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. This is a monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that d ...
''
– 1 sp.
*''
Baculifera
''Baculifera'' is a genus of lichens in the family Caliciaceae. It was circumscribed in 2000 by Bernhard Marbach and Klaus Kalb. Species in this genus are characterized by having bacilliform conidia typically measuring 8–11 μm long, and ...
'' – 14 spp.
*''
Buellia
''Buellia'' is a genus of mostly lichen-forming fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The fungi are usually part of a crustose lichen. In this case, the lichen species is given the same name as the fungus. But members may also grow as parasites on li ...
''
–
300 spp.
*''
Burrowsia''
– 1 sp.
*''
Caliciella''
– 1 sp.
*''
Calicium
''Calicium'' is a genus of leprose lichens. It is in the family Caliciaceae.
The sexual reproduction structures are a mass of loose ascospores that are enclosed by a cup shaped exciple sitting on top of a tiny stalk, having the appearance of ...
''
– ca. 30 spp.
*''
Chrismofulvea
''Chrismofulvea'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Austrian lichenologist Bernhard Marbach in 2000, with '' Chrismofulvea dialyta'' assigned as the type species. It was one of several s ...
'' – 4 spp.
*''
Ciposia
''Ciposia'' is a single-species fungal genus in the family Caliciaceae. Circumscribed by Bernhard Marbach in 2000, it contains the species ''Ciposia wheeleri'', a corticolous (bark-dwelling) and crustose lichen. This species was originally cla ...
'' – 1 sp.
*''
Cratiria
''Cratiria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in tropical regions, and contains about 20 species. The genus was circumscribed by Austrian lichenologist Bernhard Marbac ...
'' – ca. 20 spp.
*''
Culbersonia
''Culbersonia'' is a fungal genus in the family Caliciaceae. This is a monotypic genus, containing the single foliose lichen ''Culbersonia nubila'' (formerly called ''Culbersonia americana''). This species, which grows on trees and rocks, is foun ...
''
– 1 sp.
*''
Dermatiscum
''Dermatiscum'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae
The Caliciaceae are a family of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. Although the family has had its classifi ...
''
– 3 spp.
*''
Dermiscellum
''Dermiscellum'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae
The Caliciaceae are a family of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. Although the family has had its classi ...
''
– 1 sp.
*''
Dimelaena
''Dimelaena'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae.Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, Members of the genus are commonly called mountain lichens, or moonglow lichens. They are p ...
''
– 10 spp.
*''
Diploicia
''Diploicia'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in temperate regions, and contains 6 species.
Species list
The following species are accepted in the genus ''Diploicia' ...
''
– ca. 12 spp.
*''
Diplotomma
''Diplotomma'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains about 29 species. The genus was circumscribed by Julius von Flotow in 1849. It was later wrapped into ''Buellia'' befo ...
''
– ca. 30 spp.
*''
Dirinaria
''Dirinaria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropi ...
''
– ca. 35 spp.
*''
Endohyalina
''Endohyalina'' is a genus of 10 species of corticolous lichens in the family Caliciaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Bernhard Marbach in 2000, with '' Endohyalina rappii'' designated as the type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type ...
'' – 10 spp.
*''
Fluctua'' – 1 sp.
*''
Gassicurtia
''Gassicurtia'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed by French botanist Antoine Laurent Apollinaire Fée in Essai Crypt. Exot. (Paris) 1: XLVI, 100 in 1825.
The genus name of ''Gassic ...
''
– 30 spp.
*''
Hypoflavia
''Hypoflavia'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus in found in South America, especially in tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic o ...
'' – 3 spp.
*''
Monerolechia''
– 4 spp.
*''
Orcularia''
– 4 spp.
*''
Pseudothelomma''
– 2 spp.
*''
Pyxine
''Pyxine'' is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Caliciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution in tropical regions.
The presence or absence of the compound lichexanthone is a character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts ...
''
– ca. 75 spp.
*''
Redonia''
– 2 spp.
*''
Santessonia''
– 10 spp.
*''
Sculptolumina'' – 4 spp.
*''
Sphinctrinopsis''
– 1 sp.
*''
Stigmatochroma'' – 9 spp.
*''
Tetramelas''
– 16 spp.
*''
Texosporium''
– 1 sp.
*''
Thelomma
''Thelomma'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus is widely distributed and contains seven species. ''Thelomma'' was circumscribed by Italian lichenologist Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo
Abramo Bartolommeo Massalo ...
''
– 5 spp.
*''
Tholurna
''Tholurna'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The genus is monotypic, containing the single species ''Tholurna dissimilis''. This species was first described by Johannes Musaeus Norman as ''Podocratera dissimilis'' in 1 ...
''
– 1 sp.
*''
Tylophoropsis''
– 1 sp.
Some genera that have been until relatively recently classified as members of the Caliciaceae have had their status reassessed in light of molecular phylogenetic studies. For example, ''
Cyphelium'' was
synonymized with ''
Calicium
''Calicium'' is a genus of leprose lichens. It is in the family Caliciaceae.
The sexual reproduction structures are a mass of loose ascospores that are enclosed by a cup shaped exciple sitting on top of a tiny stalk, having the appearance of ...
'' in 2016 when it was discovered that its type species grouped with the latter genus.
''
Hafellia'' was placed in synonymy with ''
Buellia
''Buellia'' is a genus of mostly lichen-forming fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The fungi are usually part of a crustose lichen. In this case, the lichen species is given the same name as the fungus. But members may also grow as parasites on li ...
'' when a proposal to replace the conserved type of ''Buellia'', ''
B. disciformis'', with ''
B. aethalea'',
was declined by the
Nomenclature Committee for Fungi
International Botanical Congress (IBC) is an international meeting of botanists in all scientific fields, authorized by the International Association of Botanical and Mycological Societies (IABMS) and held every six years, with the location rotati ...
.
That proposal had attempted to retain ''B. disciformis'' as the type for ''Hafellia'', so that the name could continue to used for a distinctive group of crustose lichens with thickened ascospore walls that had historically been treated in ''Buellia''.
Habitat and distribution
![Calicium_233768](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Calicium_233768.jpg)
Collectively, Caliciaceae species have a
cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...
, although they are especially predominant in
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 ...
and
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
montane
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...
areas. Most species form lichens that
grow on bark or dead wood,
although some
grow on rocks.
In contrast, ''Texosporium'' is part of the
biological soil crust
Biological soil crusts are communities of living organisms on the soil surface in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. They are found throughout the world with varying species composition and cover depending on topography, soil characteristics, climate, ...
communities found in
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
s, and grows on
cow dung
Cow dung, also known as cow pats, cow pies or cow manure, is the waste product (faeces) of bovine animal species. These species include domestic cattle ("cows"), bison ("buffalo"), yak, and water buffalo. Cow dung is the undigested residue ...
, soil, and
detritus
In biology, detritus () is dead particulate organic material, as distinguished from dissolved organic material. Detritus typically includes the bodies or fragments of bodies of dead organisms, and fecal material. Detritus typically hosts commun ...
.
One rare species known only from a single locale in Sweden, ''
Calicium episcalare'', is
parasitic
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has c ...
on the common lichen ''
Hypocenomyce scalaris''.
Like most calicioid species, the Caliciaceae tend to avoid competition with other lichens and often grow in
microhabitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s neglected by other lichens. Examples include: the side of a tree not inhabited by other
corticolous species, in the cracks of deep fissures in bark, or woodpecker holes. Because of this preference for neglected locales, and their generally small size, the calicioid lichens tend to be overlooked by collectors and the group in general is poorly known.
Caliciaceae is one of the families whose species are most often found in
mangrove
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...
forests of
Calabarzon
Calabarzon (), formally known as the Southern Tagalog Mainland, is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region IV-A. The region comprises five provinces: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, and Rizal; and one highly urban ...
(Philippines).
Similar results were reported in studies on mangrove forests in India,
and the
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in l ...
,
where the genera ''Dirinaria'' and ''Pyxine'' were found to be amongst the most common foliose lichens. The lichens found in the mangrove ecosystem tend to be salt-tolerant and moisture sensitive.
Using
next-generation sequencing Massive parallel sequencing or massively parallel sequencing is any of several high-throughput approaches to DNA sequencing using the concept of massively parallel processing; it is also called next-generation sequencing (NGS) or second-generation s ...
techniques to detect the genetic signature of organisms, Caliciaceae species were identified as some of the most common
endolithic lichen An endolithic lichen is a 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. ...
s (crustose lichens that grow inside solid rock) found in the
McMurdo Dry Valleys
The McMurdo Dry Valleys are a row of largely snow-free valleys in Antarctica, located within Victoria Land west of McMurdo Sound. The Dry Valleys experience extremely low humidity and surrounding mountains prevent the flow of ice from nearby ...
in Antarctica. This region features one of the most harsh environments on earth, with wide variations in temperature, extreme
aridity
A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ar ...
, limited nutrients, and high levels of
solar and
UV radiation
Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation i ...
.
The
photobiont
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.[Trebouxia
''Trebouxia'' is a unicellular green alga.Silverside, A. J. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.bioref.lastdragon.org/Chlorophyta/''Trebouxia''.html It is a photosynthetic organism that can exist in almost all habitats found in polar, tropical, and ...]
'',
although ''
Stichococcus
''Stichococcus'' is a genus of green algae in the family Prasiolaceae
Prasiolaceae is a family of green algae in the order Prasiolales.See the NCBI
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States Nat ...
'' has been recorded with ''
Calicium
''Calicium'' is a genus of leprose lichens. It is in the family Caliciaceae.
The sexual reproduction structures are a mass of loose ascospores that are enclosed by a cup shaped exciple sitting on top of a tiny stalk, having the appearance of ...
''.
Conservation
![Texosporium sancti-jacobi two](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Texosporium_sancti-jacobi_two.jpg)
Caliciaceae species that have been assessed for the global
IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...
include the following: ''
Buellia asterella
''Buellia asterella'', commonly referred to as the starry breck lichen, is a rare, black and white lichen in the family Caliciaceae. Once found all across the central European grasslands, it was described as new to science in 1974. Today, it is ...
'' (
critically endangered, 2015),
''
Buellia gypsyensis'' (
vulnerable, 2020),
''
Buellia sharpiana'' (vulnerable, 2020),
''
Calicium sequoiae'' (
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...
,
2021), ''
Texosporium sancti-jacobi'' (endangered, 2020),
and ''
Thelomma carolinianum'' (endangered, 2017).
On the
red list
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...
of China's macrofungi, ''
Acroscyphus sphaerophoroides'' (endangered, 2020) is the sole representative of the Caliciaceae.
Human uses
Although there are no Caliciaceae species that are known to have economic significance,
some of them have been exploited for scientific purposes. In a 1992 Swedish study, ''
Allocalicium adaequatum'' (then a member of ''Calicium'') was proposed as one of several
bioindicator
A bioindicator is any species (an indicator species) or group of species whose function, population, or status can reveal the qualitative status of the environment. The most common indicator species are animals. For example, copepods and other sma ...
species that could be used to help assess forest continuity 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 ...
coniferous forests.
A similar study conducted in the
Acadian forest ecoregion of
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
found several Caliciaceae species appropriate for determining continuity in
old-growth forest
An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...
s.
Studies conducted in India suggest that ''
Pyxine cocoes
''Pyxine cocoes'', commonly known as the buttoned rosette lichen, is a widely distributed species of foliose lichen in the family Caliciaceae.
Taxonomy
It was first described as a new species by Swedish botanist Olof Swartz in 1788. He called ...
'', a common, pollution-tolerant foliose lichen, is a candidate for
biomonitoring
In analytical chemistry, biomonitoring is the measurement of the body burden of toxic chemical compounds, elements, or their metabolites, in biological substances. Often, these measurements are done in blood and urine. Biomonitoring is performed ...
of
local air pollution.
It
bioaccumulates toxic
heavy metals
upright=1.2, Crystals of osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">lead.html" ;"title="osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead
Heavy metals are generally defined as ...
that it acquires from the air and retains the pollutants in the thallus, which can then be sampled and
assay
An assay is an investigative (analytic) procedure in laboratory medicine, mining, pharmacology, environmental biology and molecular biology for qualitatively assessing or quantitatively measuring the presence, amount, or functional activity of a ...
ed to determine their concentration.
Other ''Pyxine'' species in India with similar pollution-resistant properties are ''
P. hispidula'' and ''
P. subcinerea''.
Fossil record
A fossil belonging to ''Calicium'' was described from
Baltic amber
The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than 1 ...
dating to 55–35 million years ago (Mya).
This and other fossils were used to estimate the date of the split between the Caliciales (i.e., the Caliciaceae-Physciaceae clade as proposed by Gaya and colleagues in 2012
) and the
Teloschistales
The Teloschistales are an order of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. According to one 2008 estimate, the order contains 5 families, 66 genera, and 1954 species. The predominant photobi ...
. In their analysis, this occurred in the
Middle Jurassic
The Middle Jurassic is the second epoch of the Jurassic Period. It lasted from about 174.1 to 163.5 million years ago. Fossils of land-dwelling animals, such as dinosaurs, from the Middle Jurassic are relatively rare, but geological formations co ...
, around 171 Mya.
Other fossils have since been found. In 2018, three fossils assigned to ''Calicium'' were reported from European
Paleogene
The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...
amber.
A Baltic amber fungus fossil, originally collected by
Robert Caspary
Johann Xaver Robert Caspary (29 January 1818 – 18 September 1887) was a German botanist.
Caspary was born in Königsberg. He studied theology and philosophy at the University of Königsberg and was educated in sciences at the University of ...
and assigned to the genus ''
Stilbum
''Stilbum'' is a genus of cuckoo wasp (insects in the family Chrysididae).
Species
* ''Stilbum calens'' (Fabricius, 1781)
* ''Stilbum chrysocephalum'' Buysson, 1896
* ''Stilbum cyanurum'' (Förster, 1771)
* ''Stilbum pici'' Robert du Buysson, ...
'' (family
Chionosphaeraceae
The Chionosphaeraceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricostilbales. The family contains six genera. Some species form small, stilboid (pin-shaped) fruitbodies. Others are known only from their yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-cel ...
) in 1886, was reassessed as a member of the Caliciales in 2019, as ''
Calicium succini''. Because it is considered to be "well-preserved and reliably identifiable", it is valuable for use in evolutionary studies that estimate the
divergence
In vector calculus, divergence is a vector operator that operates on a vector field, producing a scalar field giving the quantity of the vector field's source at each point. More technically, the divergence represents the volume density of the ...
times of fungal
lineages.
Notes
References
Cited literature
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4210024
Lecanoromycetes families
Caliciales
Lichen families
Taxa described in 1826
Taxa named by François Fulgis Chevallier