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 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 ...
. The genus, which contains seven species, is a member of the subfamily Caloplacoideae.
Characteristics of the genus ''Fauriea'' include its crustose, continuous grey to whitish-grey thallus and (fruiting structures) with a brown or dark brown . The thallus has a sleek, continuous structure that is not , with greyish colours. The apothecia, which initially appear submerged within the thallus, later partially emerge or can be seen in structures called thalline warts.
Taxonomy
''Fauriea'' 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 2016 by lichenologists
Sergey Kondratyuk
Sergey Yakovlevich Kondratyuk ( uk, Сергій Якович Кондратюк) (born 17 May 1959) is a Ukrainian botanist specialising in lichenology. His research deals with the taxonomy, floristics, ecology and geography of lichens and lic ...
, Laszlo Lőkös, and Jae-Seoun Hur, with ''Fauriea chujaensis'' assigned as the type species. The genus was named in honour of French botanist Urbain Jean Faurie (1847–1915), who made significant contributions to the
collections
Collection or Collections may refer to:
* Cash collection, the function of an accounts receivable department
* Collection (church), money donated by the congregation during a church service
* Collection agency, agency to collect cash
* Collection ...
of lichens,
moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...
es and vascular plants in the Eastern Asian region. In terms of phylogenetics, ''Fauriea'' is closely related to the genus ''
Rufoplaca
''Rufoplaca'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. The genus was circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed in 2013 by Ulf Arup, Ulrik Søchting, and Patrik Frödén, with ''Rufoplaca subpallida'' assigned as the type ...
'', the ''
Caloplaca furax
''Kuettlingeria furax'' is a species of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It was first formally described as a new species in 1983 by José María Egea Fernández and Xavier Llimona; they classifie ...
'' group, and the newly identified ''
Caloplaca lecapustulata
''Caloplaca lecapustulata'' is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Found in Brazil, it was described as a new species in 2016.
Taxonomy
''Caloplaca lecapustulata'' was formally described as ...
'' and ''
Caloplaca lecanorocarpa
''Caloplaca lecanorocarpa'' is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Found in Brazil, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by the lichenologists André Aptroot and Marcela Cáce ...
''. However, the evidence for this shared relationship is not very strong, except for the clear and strong evidence connecting ''Rufoplaca'' with the ''Caloplaca furax'' group.
''Fauriea'' was originally was proposed for two species, i.e., the type species ''F. chujaensis'' and ''F. orientochinensis''. Several species were proposed for addition to the genus in 2019 and 2020.
Description
Lichens in ''Fauriea'' have crustose thalli, which exists as uninterrupted, whole (i.e., not fragmented into ) surfaces, with various shades of grey, from muted grey to lead-grey, to whitish grey in certain areas. The of the '' Lecanora''-like apothecia, in contrast, are hues of brown to dark brown.
A key characteristic of ''Fauriea'' is the form of its apothecia, which initially lie hidden within the thallus, only to semi-emerge or become apparent in thalline warts later on. These apothecia may give the appearance of being lecanorine or sunken into the thallus, which is truly . The edges of the have a whitish-grey tone, contrasting with the dark brown disc. When the develops completely, it shows a light brown or transparent brown shade.
A cross-section of the ''Fauriea'' reveals additional details about its morphology; the shows a range of tissue structure from to mesodermatous . The cortical layer of the is purely paraplectenchymatous. The , shaped like a broomstick's bristles, branch out at the top, and have a brownish tint.
Inside the
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 ...
of the ''Fauriea'', there are eight spores. These ascospores are bipolar, with a narrow
ellipsoid
An ellipsoid is a surface that may be obtained from a sphere by deforming it by means of directional scalings, or more generally, of an affine transformation.
An ellipsoid is a quadric surface; that is, a surface that may be defined as the ...
form that broadens slightly at the
septum
In biology, a septum (Latin for ''something that encloses''; plural septa) is a wall, dividing a cavity or structure into smaller ones. A cavity or structure divided in this way may be referred to as septate.
Examples
Human anatomy
* Interatri ...
. The septum of these ascospores is of medium width. have not been observed in ''Fauriea''.
On a chemical level, both the thallus and yield negative results for K spot reactions. Also notable is the absence of anthraquinones (chemical substances common in the Teloschistaceae), contributing to the unique chemistry of the genus.
Habitat and distribution
''Fauriea'' is commonly found on
siliceous rock
Siliceous rocks are sedimentary rocks that have silica (SiO2) as the principal constituent. The most common siliceous rock is chert; other types include diatomite. They commonly form from silica-secreting organisms such as radiolarians, diatoms, or ...
s in the coastal areas, often sharing space with members of ''
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 ...
'' and genera such as ''Lecanora'', ''
Ramalina
''Ramalina'' is a genus of greenish fruticose lichens that grow in the form of flattened, strap-like branches. Members of the genus are commonly called strap lichensField Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 201 ...
'', and ''
Phaeophyscia
''Phaeophyscia'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family 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 ...
'', or on the bark of pine trees.
''Fauriea'' is macroscopically similar to some ''
Pyrenodesmia
''Pyrenodesmia'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has 23 species. The genus was circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed in 1852 by Italian lichenologist Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo.
Species
*''Pyrenodesmi ...
'' species, particularly '' P. variabilis'', but it stands out due to its entire thallus, smaller apothecia, narrower ascospores and a significantly wider ascospore septum. Its absence of a white on apothecial discs and lack of K+ and C+ spot test reactions also sets it apart. The absence of
molecular data
In genetics and biochemistry, sequencing means to determine the primary structure (sometimes incorrectly called the primary sequence) of an unbranched biopolymer. Sequencing results in a symbolic linear depiction known as a sequence which succi ...
for 'Caloplaca' atroalba, a North American lichen that shares similar characteristics with ''Fauriea chujaensis'', provides a challenge for further comparative analysis. Additionally, ''Fauriea chujaensis'' bears a resemblance to 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 ...
'' (family
Megasporaceae
Megasporaceae are a family of fungi belonging to the order Pertusariales. Taxa are lichenized with green algae, and grow on rocks, often in maritime climates close to fresh water. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that this family is related to the ...
), but the morphology of its ascospores confirms its place within the family Teloschistaceae.
Fauriea chujaensis
''Fauriea'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. The genus, which contains seven species, is a member of the subfamily Caloplacoideae.
Characteristics of the genus ''Fauriea'' include its crustose lichen, crustose, ...
Fauriea orientochinensis
''Fauriea'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. The genus, which contains seven species, is a member of the subfamily Caloplacoideae.
Characteristics of the genus ''Fauriea'' include its crustose, continuous gre ...
Caloplaca patwolseleyae
''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 ...