''Kuettlingeria furax'' is a species of
lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling)
crustose lichen in the family
Teloschistaceae
The Teloschistaceae are a large family of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. The family, estimated to contain over 1800 species, was extensively revised in 2013, including the creation o ...
.
It was first
formally described as a new species in 1983 by José María Egea Fernández and Xavier Llimona; they classified it in the genus ''
Caloplaca
''Caloplaca'' is a lichen genus comprising a number of distinct species. Members of the genus are commonly called firedot lichen, jewel lichen.Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, gold lichens, "ora ...
''. The
type specimen of this lichen was discovered in the eastern part of the
Sierra Morena mountains in
Albacete, Spain. It was found growing
parasitically on other lichens in the genus ''
Aspicilia
''Aspicilia'' (sunken disk lichen) is a genus of mostly crustose areolate lichens that grow on rock. Most members have black apothecia discs that are slightly immersed in the areolas, hence the common name.Field Guide to California Lichens, Step ...
'', which are found on
silica-rich surfaces.
''Kuettlingeria furax'' appears as small, circular patches that are a deep brownish-grey colour. It has a somewhat lobed edge, and its reproductive structures (
apothecia), quickly lose their . The authors compared it to ''
Caloplaca conglomerata'', but noted the distinctness of its spores, which are broader and have a bulged middle.
The
taxon was transferred to the genus ''
Kuettlingeria'' in 2020;
it has also been proposed for inclusion in the genus ''
Pisutiella
''Pisutiella'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains five species of saxicolous lichen, saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that are found in a variety of environments in the Northern Hemisphere.
...
''.
References
Teloschistales
Lichen species
Lichens described in 1983
Lichens of Southwestern Europe
Lichenicolous lichens
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