''Fuscopannaria rugosa'' is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling),

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Pannariaceae The Pannariaceae are a family of lichens in the order Peltigerales (suborder Collematineae). Species from this family have a widespread distribution, but are especially prevalent in southern temperate regions. Genera According to a recent (202 ...

. It is found in

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...

and Guanxi in China, where it grows in mountainous forests. ''Fuscopannaria rugosa'' is identifiable by its - thallus, which has longitudinal wrinkles on the upper surface. It also has a distinct , a relatively thick , and a made up of thick-walled cells in both the and apothecial structures. It produces simple,

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 ...

that have a smooth, pointed tip () at their apex.

Taxonomy

The lichen was formally described as a new species in 2013 by Hua-Jie Liu and Jian-sen Hu. 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 collected from Mt. Shennongjia ( Hubei Province) at an altitude of , where it was found growing on bark. The species epithet ''rugosa'' alludes to its wrinkled upper surface.

Description

''Fuscopannaria rugosa'' forms circular clusters with fan-shaped that are up to in diameter. The lobes are brown or dark olive-green on the upper surface, and the lower surface varies from pale near the margin to dark brown or black towards the center. The lichen has no distinct rhizines or observed, and the can be dark brown to black and protruding or not. Apothecia, which are circular structures, are abundant and can be up to 1–2.5 mm in diameter. They are red-brown to paler, shiny, and highly convex when mature. The lichen has a distinct upper cortex that is 20–40

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 ...

thick and cells that are thick-walled. The algal layer, which measures 200–300 μm, is embedded in a gelatinous layer and contains ''

Nostoc ''Nostoc'', also known as star jelly, troll’s butter, spit of moon, fallen star, witch's butter (not to be confused with the fungi commonly known as witches' butter), and witch’s jelly, is the most common genus of cyanobacteria found in vari ...

'' cells in chains that appear blue under 10× magnification. The medulla is thin, white near the lobe margin, and blackened towards the centre. The lower is absent. All standard chemical spot tests are negative. Terpenoids and

fatty acid In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, fr ...

s occur in the lichen; these substances are detectable with thin-layer chromatography.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q107687351 rugosa Lichen species Lichens described in 2016 Lichens of China