''Dirina'' 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 Roccellaceae. All ''Dirina'' species are

crustose lichen Crustose lichens are lichens that form a crust which strongly adheres to the Substrate (biology), substrate (soil, rock, tree bark, etc.), making separation from the substrate impossible without destruction. The basic structure of crustose lichen ...

s with a whitish to greyish brown

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 ...

, and live either on rock or on bark–some species can live on both. The partner is a member of the

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 '' Trentepohlia''. Most species occur in the Northern Hemisphere, and are generally restricted to coastal habitats, where they may be locally quite common. Erythrin and

lecanoric acid Lecanoric acid is a chemical produced by several species of lichen.ubChem - Lecanoric acid"> Lecanoric acid is classified as a polyphenol and a didepside and it functions as an antioxidant. The acid is named after the lichen ''Lecanora''. The acid ...

are lichen products that usually occur in ''Dirina'' species, along with several other unidentified substances. 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 1825 by

Elias Magnus Fries Elias Magnus Fries (15 August 1794 – 8 February 1878) was a Swedish mycologist and botanist. Career Fries was born at Femsjö (Hylte Municipality), Småland, the son of the pastor there. He attended school in Växjö. He acquired ...

. Swedish lichenologist Anders Tehler published a

monograph A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject. In library cataloging, ''monograph ...

about the genus in 1983. Thirty years later, he and his colleagues revisited ''Dirina'', combining evidence from

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 ...

analysis with morphological and chemical analysis. They accepted 24 species in ''Dirina'', 9 of which were described as new to science.

Species

* ''

Dirina angolana ''Dirina angolana'' is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. Found in Angola, it was formally described as a new species in 2013 by lichenologists Anders Tehler and Damien Ertz. The type specimen ...

'' –

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

* ''

Dirina approximata ''Dirina approximata'' is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. It was formally described by Alexander Zahlbruckner in 1931. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, where it grows on the bark of ...

'' –

Galápagos Islands The Galápagos Islands (Spanish: , , ) are an archipelago of volcanic islands. They are distributed on each side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere, and are part of the Republic of Ecuador ...

* ''

Dirina arabica ''Dirina arabica'' is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. Found in Socotra, it was formally described as a new species in 2013 by lichenologists Anders Tehler and Damien Ernst. The type specime ...

'' – Socotra Island * ''

Dirina astridae ''Dirina astridae'' is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. Found in Mauritius, it was formally described as a new species in 2013 by Anders Tehler. The type specimen was collected by the author ...

'' –

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

* ''

Dirina badia ''Dirina badia'' is a species of crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. It is found on the small desert mountains of northern Peru, where it grows on both stone and on bark. Taxonomy The lichen was formally described as a new species in 1 ...

'' –

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

* '' Dirina canariensis'' –

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

* ''

Dirina candida ''Dirina candida'' is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. It is found in the southern Mediterranean Basin, with a range extending east to Egypt and Libya. It grows on calcareous rocks that are c ...

'' –

Mediterranean Basin In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and w ...

* '' Dirina catalinariae'' – USA; Mexico * ''

Dirina ceratoniae ''Dirina ceratoniae'' is a species of crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. It is found in Europe, where it grows on both bark and on calcium-rich rock. The lichen was formally described as a new species in 1810 by Swedish lichenologist ...

'' – Mediterranean Basin * '' Dirina cretacea'' – Mediterranean Basin * '' Dirina fallax'' – Africa; Europe * '' Dirina immersa'' – Socotra Island * '' Dirina indica'' – India * '' Dirina insulana'' – Macaronesia; Europe * '' Dirina jamesii'' –

St. Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

Ascension Island Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory o ...

; Africa * '' Dirina madagascariensis'' – Madagascar * ''

Dirina massiliensis ''Dirina'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Roccellaceae. All ''Dirina'' species are crustose lichens with a whitish to greyish brown thallus, and live either on rock or on bark–some species can live on both. The partner is ...

'' – Mediterranean Basin; Central Europe * '' Dirina mexicana'' – Mexico * '' Dirina monothalamia'' –

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

; Senegal * '' Dirina pacifica'' – Galapagos Islands; Hawaii * '' Dirina pallescens'' – Mexico * '' Dirina paradoxa'' – Caribbean * ''

Dirina sorocarpa ''Dirina sorocarpa'' is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. Found in Cape Verde, it was formally described as a new species in 2013 by Anders Tehler and Damien Ertz. The lichen has a creamy wh ...

'' – Cape Verde * '' Dirina teichiodes'' – Cape Verde

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5280777 * Arthoniomycetes genera Lichen genera Taxa named by Elias Magnus Fries Taxa described in 1825