''Kuettlingeria teicholyta'' is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae, and the type species of the genus ''

Kuettlingeria ''Kuettlingeria'' is a genus of saxicolous lichen, saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens in the family Teloschistaceae. Species are characterized by a white or gray thallus and the presence of anthraquinones in the apothecial and , with t ...

''. It is a widely distributed lichen, having been recorded from Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described in 1810 by the Swedish lichenologist Erik Acharius, who placed it in the genus '' Lecanora''. The type specimen was collected by

Léon Jean Marie Dufour Léon Jean Marie (or Jean-Marie Léon) Dufour (10 April 1780, Saint-Sever – 18 April 1865) was a French medical doctor and naturalist. Between 1799 and 1806 he studied medicine in Paris then returned to Saint-Sever in the Landes. He participate ...

from France. Italian botanist

Vittore Benedetto Antonio Trevisan de Saint-Léon Vittore Benedetto Antonio Trevisan de Saint-Léon (5 June 1818, in Padua – 8 April 1897, in Milan) was an Italian botanist who specialized in cryptogam, cryptogamic flora. During his career, he was a professor of natural history in Padua. I ...

transferred the taxon to the newly proposed genus ''

'' in 1857. In his original circumscription of the genus, it contained three species: ''K. lallavei'', ''K. visianica'', and ''K. teicholyta''. The first two species, including ''Blastenia visianica'', the type species of genus ''Kuettlingeria'' (originally described by Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo in 1852) are now

synonymous A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

with ''K. teicholyta''. As a result, ''Kuettlingeria teicholyta'' is the type species of genus ''Kuettlingeria''.

Description

''Kuettlingeria teicholyta'' is characterised by its obscurely thallus. The thallus typically forms closely , rounded formations that vary from thin to thick and have a white-grey colouration. The ends of the in this species are often poorly differentiated, presenting as rounded, flat, or slightly convex structures without distinct furrows. These lobes form a complete zone around the edge of the thallus, contributing to its overall rounded appearance. The surface of ''Kuettlingeria teicholyta'' is uniform and scurfy, especially towards the centre of the thallus, and it is common to find small on the surface. Occasionally, the thallus may display weak . Soredia in this species are granular and white, typically forming through the erosion of the thallus surface in the central area. Apothecia in ''Kuettlingeria teicholyta'', though uncommon, are quite conspicuous when present. They can reach up to 0.8 mm in diameter and are scattered or sometimes crowded on the thallus. Initially, these apothecia are immersed within the thallus and deeply concave, but they eventually become flat. The , when present, is white and undulate, while the is , swollen, and bright orange in colour. The of the apothecia are orange to red to brown, occasionally with a white- surface.

Paraphyses Paraphyses are erect sterile filament-like support structures occurring among the reproductive apparatuses of fungi, ferns, bryophytes and some thallophytes. The singular form of the word is paraphysis. In certain fungi, they are part of the fe ...

in ''Kuettlingeria teicholyta'' are slender, flexuose, and branched, without swelling at the tips. are

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 ...

, measuring 15–18 by 7–10

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 ...

. 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 ...

is often under 4 μm wide, making up to one-quarter of the length of the ascospore. Chemical spot tests on the thallus yield negative results (K−), while apothecia have a K+ (purple-red) reaction. ''Kuettlingeria teicholyta'' is a member of C₅, characterised by 7‐chloro- emodin as the dominant secondary metabolite in association with a substantial proportion of fragilin.

Distribution

''Kuettlingeria teicholyta'' occurs in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

References

{{Taxonbar, from= , from2=Q107922760 , from3=Q123430229 , from4=Q107524699 , from5=Q10440559 Teloschistales Lichen species Lichens described in 1810 Lichens of Africa Lichens of Asia Lichens of Europe Taxa named by Erik Acharius