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 ...
of
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
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 ...
. It has two species. ''Hanstrassia'' is characterised by a predominantly and thallus, distinguishing it from its close relative '' Elenkiniana''.
Taxonomy
''Hanstrassia'' 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 ...
by lichenologist
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 ...
in 2017, to contain what was then known as the ''Elenkiniana lenae'' species complex. It is a member of the '' Mikhtomia'' sensu lato
clade
A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
of the subfamily Caloplacoideae, which also contains the genera '' Laundonia'', ''
Opeltia
''Opeltia'' is a genus of lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Oxneriopsis''. The genus name honours Estonian lichenologist
Hans Trass
Hans-Voldemar Trass (2 May 1928 – 14 February 2017) was an Estonian ecologist and botanist. He was a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences since 1975 and president of the Estonian Naturalists' Society from 1964 to 1973 and 1985 to 1991. ...
.
Description
The
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 ...
of ''Hanstrassia'' species are either saxicolous (growing on rocks) or
terricolous A terricolous lichen is a lichen that grows on the soil as a substrate. An example is some members of the genus ''Peltigera
''Peltigera'' is a genus of approximately 100 species of foliose lichens in the family Peltigeraceae. Commonly known as ...
(growing on soil). They are in form, with or slightly margins at times. The colour ranges from yellowish grey and pale yellow to
ochre
Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...
, orange, or brownish yellow. Often, these species have a whitish , or powdery coating, on their surface. The are relatively thick, with
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 ...
that are scarce to numerous, in shape, and typically located along the margins. These soralia are usually a brighter shade of yellowish to ochre compared to the rest of the thallus. The cortical layer of the thallus is either or , while the medulla is dense, made of interwoven
hypha
A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium.
Structure
A hypha consists of one or ...
e lacking clear orientation.
The apothecia of ''Hanstrassia'' species are typically to , sparse and dispersed. The apothecial are initially flat but may become somewhat convex as they mature. They are deep orange to brownish in colour, and in the early stages, they may be covered with a whitish pruina. The of the apothecia is prosoplectenchymatous. 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 ...
contain eight spores each, and the are . The of these species are , measuring 3–3.5 by 1–1.25
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 terms of chemistry, ''Hanstrassia'' species predominantly contain the anthraquinone substance fragilin and the
depsidone
Depsidones (+ "depside" + "one") are chemical compounds that are sometimes found as secondary metabolites in lichens. They are esters that are both depsides and cyclic ethers. An example is norstictic acid
Norstictic acid is a depsidone produced ...
The genus ''Hanstrassia'' is primarily found in specific ecological settings across parts of the Asian continent. These species typically grow on
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
and calcareous
schist
Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes o ...
, favouring the vertical cliffs in areas characterized by dry continental climates. They can also be found on sandy soil within mountainous deserts, indicating a preference for arid, rocky environments.
In terms of distribution and species diversity, the
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
of the genus, ''Hanstrassia lenae'', has a known range extending across northeastern Asia. This includes regions such as the
Altai Mountains
The Altai Mountains (), also spelled Altay Mountains, are a mountain range in Central Asia, Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob River, Ob have their headwaters. The m ...
in
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
and
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
, stretching to
Yakutia
Sakha, officially the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia),, is the largest republic of Russia, located in the Russian Far East, along the Arctic Ocean, with a population of roughly 1 million. Sakha comprises half of the area of its governing Far Eas ...
. ''Hanstrassia jaeseounhurii'', in contrast, has a more limited distribution and is known to occur only in its type locality in China.
There is some uncertainty regarding the taxonomic status of material previously identified as ''Hanstrassia lenae'' from Russia. Further research and clarification are needed to accurately determine the range and classification of these specimens.