''Coenogonium'' is a genus of crustose lichens in the monotypic family Coenogoniaceae. It has about 90 species. Most species are leaf-dwelling or grow on bark, although a few are known to grow on rocks under certain conditions, and some are restricted to growth on

termite nest Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes ( eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blat ...

s. 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 1820 by German naturalist Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg. ''Coenogonium'' has a worldwide distribution, with most species known from tropical areas. Most species grow in tropical rain forests in the shaded understorey. They typically inhabit tree trunks, branches,

liana A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...

s, and leaves.

Description

Although members of ''Coenogonium'' are relatively easy to identify given its unique characteristics, identifying to species is more difficult due to the slight differences between them. The genus is characterized by

biatorine A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.apothecia with a paraplectenchymatous excipulum, partially amyloid hymenium (I+ blue then quickly sordid green then red-brown), thin-walled unitunicate

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 1- septate or rarely non-septate ascospores. The photobiont component of ''Coenogonium'' is a

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 ...

from the family Trentepohliaceae. The structure of the ''Coenogonium'' thallus is largely determined by the algal partner. Similar genera include ''

Malcolmiella ''Malcolmiella'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Pilocarpaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed by Czech lichenologist Antonín Vězda 1997, with ''Malcolmiella cinereovirens'' as the type, and only species. The generic nam ...

'', which differs mainly by having amyloid asci with a thickened tholus and non-septate, usually longer and broader ascospores with an ornamented perispore; ''

Absconditella ''Absconditella'' is a genus of lichenised fungi in the family Stictidaceae. The genus was circumscribed in 1965 by Czech lichenologist Antonín Vězda, with '' Absconditella sphagnorum'' assigned as the type species. ''Absconditella'' is chara ...

'', which has a chlorococcoid photobiont and non-amyloid asci; and ''

Cryptodiscus ''Cryptodiscus'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Stictidaceae. Species , Species Fungorum ''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal names (scientific names) in the fungus kingdom. the project is ba ...

'', which has ''

Gloeocystis ''Gloeocystis'' is a genus of green algae in the family Radiococcaceae Radiococcaceae is a family of green algae in the order Sphaeropleales. Genera , AlgaeBase accepted the following genera: * Catenococcus F.Hindák * Chlororustica Shin Wa ...

'' as photobiont, amyloid asci with a thickened apex and non-septate paraphyses.

Research

Species of ''Coenogonium'' have frequently used in morphological/anatomical and ecophysiological studies. Examples include thallus growth, apothecial development,

ultrastructure Ultrastructure (or ultra-structure) is the architecture of cells and biomaterials that is visible at higher magnifications than found on a standard optical light microscope. This traditionally meant the resolution and magnification range of a co ...

, photobiont and resynthesis in culture, and photosynthesis. The filamentous thalli of ''Coenogonium'' serve as a home for

diatom A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group comprising sev ...

s and other microorganisms.

Johannes Müller Argoviensis Johann Müller (9 May 1828 - 28 January 1896) was a Swiss botanist who was a specialist in lichens. He published under the name Johannes Müller Argoviensis to distinguish himself from other naturalists with similar names. Biography Müller w ...

even used his erroneous interpretation of the thallus organization of filamentous ''Coenogonium'' to oppose

Simon Schwendener Simon Schwendener (10 February 1829 – 27 May 1919) was a Swiss botanist who was a native of Buchs in the Canton of St. Gallen. In 1856 he received his doctorate at the University of Zurich, where afterwards he was an assistant to Carl Wilhelm ...

's theory of the symbiotic nature of lichens.

Species

Coenogonium interplexum - Flickr - pellaea

The genus is quite well known in continental areas that border the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

, such as Florida and Costa Rica. About half of the world's biodiversity of this genus occurs in Brazil. *'' Coenogonium aciculatum'' – Costa Rica *'' Coenogonium agonimioides'' *'' Coenogonium albomarginatum'' *'' Coenogonium antonianum'' *'' Coenogonium atroluteum'' – Neotropics *'' Coenogonium aurantiacum'' – Puerto Rico *'' Coenogonium bacilliferum'' *'' Coenogonium barbatellum'' *'' Coenogonium barbatum'' – Costa Rica *'' Coenogonium beaverae'' *'' Coenogonium borinquense'' – Puerto Rico *'' Coenogonium botryosum'' *'' Coenogonium brasiliense'' *'' Coenogonium bryophilum'' – Australia *'' Coenogonium byssothallinum'' – Costa Rica *'' Coenogonium chloroticum'' – Brazil *'' Coenogonium ciliatum'' *'' Coenogonium confervoides'' *'' Coenogonium convexum'' – Thailand *'' Coenogonium coppinsii'' – Brazil *'' Coenogonium coralloideum'' *'' Coenogonium coronatum'' *'' Coenogonium curvulum'' *'' Coenogonium dattatreyense'' *'' Coenogonium davidii'' *'' Coenogonium degeneri'' *'' Coenogonium dilucidum'' *'' Coenogonium dimorphicum'' – Puerto Rico *'' Coenogonium disciforme'' – Thailand *'' Coenogonium eximium'' – Neotropics *'' Coenogonium fallaciosum'' *'' Coenogonium flammeum'' *'' Coenogonium flavicans'' *'' Coenogonium flavovirens'' *'' Coenogonium flavoviride'' *'' Coenogonium flavum'' *'' Coenogonium frederici'' *'' Coenogonium fruticulosum'' – New Zealand *'' Coenogonium fuscescens'' *'' Coenogonium geralense'' – pantropical *'' Coenogonium hainanense'' – China *'' Coenogonium hypophyllum'' *'' Coenogonium implexum'' *'' Coenogonium interplexum'' *''

Coenogonium interpositum ''Coenogonium'' is a genus of crustose lichens in the monotypic family Coenogoniaceae. It has about 90 species. Most species are leaf-dwelling or grow on bark, although a few are known to grow on rocks under certain conditions, and some ar ...

'' *'' Coenogonium isidiatum'' *''

Coenogonium isidiiferum ''Coenogonium'' is a genus of crustose lichens in the monotypic family Coenogoniaceae. It has about 90 species. Most species are leaf-dwelling or grow on bark, although a few are known to grow on rocks under certain conditions, and some are ...

'' *'' Coenogonium isidiigerum'' *'' Coenogonium isidiosum'' *''

Coenogonium kalbii ''Coenogonium'' is a genus of crustose lichens in the monotypic family Coenogoniaceae. It has about 90 species. Most species are leaf-dwelling or grow on bark, although a few are known to grow on rocks under certain conditions, and some are ...

'' – Costa Rica *'' Coenogonium kawanae'' *'' Coenogonium kiggaense'' *'' Coenogonium labyrinthicum'' *''

Coenogonium linkii ''Coenogonium'' is a genus of crustose lichens in the monotypic family Coenogoniaceae. It has about 90 species. Most species are leaf-dwelling or grow on bark, although a few are known to grow on rocks under certain conditions, and some are ...

'' *'' Coenogonium lisowskii'' *''

Coenogonium lueckingii ''Coenogonium lueckingii'' is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Coenogoniaceae. It is known to occur in a couple of locations in South Korea, where it grows on the bark of trees in humid locations. Taxonomy ...

'' *'' Coenogonium luteocitrinum'' – Neotropics *'' Coenogonium luteolum'' – Europe *'' Coenogonium lutescens'' *'' Coenogonium luteum'' *''

Coenogonium magdalenae ''Coenogonium'' is a genus of crustose lichens in the monotypic family Coenogoniaceae. It has about 90 species. Most species are leaf-dwelling or grow on bark, although a few are known to grow on rocks under certain conditions, and some ar ...

'' – Costa Rica *'' Coenogonium maritimum'' – Florida *'' Coenogonium minidenticulatum'' *'' Coenogonium minimum'' *'' Coenogonium minutissimum'' *'' Coenogonium moniliforme'' *''

Coenogonium nepalense ''Coenogonium'' is a genus of crustose lichens in the monotypic family Coenogoniaceae. It has about 90 species. Most species are leaf-dwelling or grow on bark, although a few are known to grow on rocks under certain conditions, and some ar ...

'' – Neotropics and eastern Paleotropics *'' Coenogonium perminutum'' *'' Coenogonium persistens'' – Neotropics *'' Coenogonium pertenue'' *'' Coenogonium piliferum'' *'' Coenogonium pineti'' *'' Coenogonium platysporum'' *'' Coenogonium pocsii'' – African Paleotropics *'' Coenogonium portoricense'' – Puerto Rico *'' Coenogonium pulchrum'' *'' Coenogonium pusillum'' *'' Coenogonium pyrophthalmum'' *'' Coenogonium queenslandicum'' – eastern Paleotropics *'' Coenogonium riparium'' *'' Coenogonium roumeguerianum'' *'' Coenogonium rubrofuscum'' *'' Coenogonium saepincola'' – Costa Rica *'' Coenogonium seychellense'' *'' Coenogonium siquirrense'' *'' Coenogonium stenosporum'' – Neotropics *'' Coenogonium stramineum'' *''

Coenogonium strigosum ''Coenogonium'' is a genus of crustose lichens in the monotypic family Coenogoniaceae. It has about 90 species. Most species are leaf-dwelling or grow on bark, although a few are known to grow on rocks under certain conditions, and some ar ...

'' – Neotropics *'' Coenogonium subborinquense'' – Thailand *'' Coenogonium subdentatum'' – Neotropics; eastern Paleotropics *'' Coenogonium subdilucidum'' *''

Coenogonium subdilutum ''Coenogonium'' is a genus of crustose lichens in the monotypic family Coenogoniaceae. It has about 90 species. Most species are leaf-dwelling or grow on bark, although a few are known to grow on rocks under certain conditions, and some ar ...

'' *''

'' *'' Coenogonium subfallaciosum'' *'' Coenogonium subluteum'' *'' Coenogonium subsquamosum'' *'' Coenogonium subzonatum'' *'' Coenogonium tanzanicum'' *'' Coenogonium tavaresianum'' *'' Coenogonium theae'' *'' Coenogonium upretianum'' – Brazil *'' Coenogonium usambarense'' – African and eastern Paleotropics *'' Coenogonium verrucimarginatum'' – Thailand *'' Coenogonium verrucosum'' – South America *'' Coenogonium vezdanum'' *'' Coenogonium weberi'' *'' Coenogonium wernerhuberi'' – Costa Rica *'' Coenogonium wrightii'' *'' Coenogonium zonatum''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10456565, from2=Q2981793 Gyalectales Gyalectales genera Lichen genera Taxa described in 1820 Taxa named by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg