''Enterographa incognita'' is a little-known species of

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 ...

in the family Roccellaceae. Found in Southeast Thailand, it is characterised by its sorediate features and its distinct and . This lichen, only known to occur in its type locality, thrives on large trunks in a mangrove environment.

Taxonomy

''Enterographa incognita'' was first described scientifically in 2014 by lichenologists Damien Ertz and Anders Tehler. 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 discovered by the first author in Trat province, Thailand, in Ban Pak Khlong Nam Chiew mangrove on a large

trunk Trunk may refer to: Biology * Trunk (anatomy), synonym for torso * Trunk (botany), a tree's central superstructure * Trunk of corpus callosum, in neuroanatomy * Elephant trunk, the proboscis of an elephant Computing * Trunk (software), in rev ...

Description

''Enterographa incognita'' has 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. ''Crustose'' is found on rocks and ...

thallus that is completely sorediate and water-repellent. The

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 ...

are 100–300

μm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

in diameter and densely cover the , often merging. The inner part of the soralia is white, containing abundant

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 ...

crystals that do not dissolve in a

potassium hydroxide Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula K OH, and is commonly called caustic potash. Along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), KOH is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications, most of which exp ...

solution. The associated with this species is . The ascomata are and immersed in white . The ascospores usually have between 7 and 9

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 ...

(sometimes as many as 12), and typical dimensions of 43.0–55.5 by 4–5 μm. These features help distinguish ''Enterographa incognita'' from other similar species. Conidiomata, however, have not been observed in this species.

Similar species

''Enterographa incognita'' differs from other sorediate '' Enterographa species'', such as '' Enterographa sorediata'' and '' E. zephyri'', due to its larger and more septate ascospores, as well as its unique chemistry. It also differs from non-sorediate species like '' E. diederichiana'' and '' E. tropica'' in terms of thallus structure and ascospore features. Further research may help to better understand the relationships between these species and their ecological roles within their respective habitats.

Habitat and distribution

''Enterographa incognita'' is only known to inhabit the mangrove environment of its type locality in Southeast Thailand. It is found on large trunks, at an altitude of 1 metre above sea level. Its distribution and habitat preferences may be influenced by the presence of suitable substrates and specific environmental conditions.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q47499892 Roccellaceae Lichen species Lichens described in 2014 Lichens of Indo-China