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
Megalosporaceae
The Megalosporaceae are a family of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a ...
.
Taxonomy
The genus 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 1843 by Prussian botanist
Franz Meyen
Franz Julius Ferdinand Meyen (28 June 1804 – 2 September 1840) was a Prussian physician and botanist.
Meyen was born in Tilsit, East Prussia. In 1830 he wrote ''Phytotomie'', the first major study of plant anatomy. Between 1830 and 1832, he too ...
, with ''
Megalospora sulphurata
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with '' Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only speci ...
'' assigned as the
type
Type may refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc.
* Data type, collection of values used for computations.
* File type
* TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file.
* Ty ...
, and at that time, only species. The genus was then largely defined on the basis of the structure of the apothecia.
In 2012,
Gintaras Kantvilas
Gintaras Kantvilas (born 1956) is an Australian lichenologist, who earned his Ph.D in 1985 from the University of Tasmania with a thesis entitled ''Studies on Tasmanian rainforest lichens''. He has authored over 432 species names, and 167 gener ...
and
H. Thorsten Lumbsch
Helge Thorsten Lumbsch (born 1964) is a German-born lichenologist living in the United States. His research interests include the phylogeny, taxonomy, and phylogeography of lichen-forming fungi; lichen diversity; lichen chemistry and chemotax ...
synonymized the genus ''Austroblastenia'' (which contained two species) with ''Megalospora'', based on both morphology and molecular phylogeny.
Description
''Megalospora'' is characterised by its large, bicellar ascospores. Other features include the crustosethallus, the lecideine apothecia, and the presence of oil droplets in the
hymenium
The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some ...
green alga
The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga as ...
l genus ''
Dictyochloropsis
''Dictyochloropsis'' is a genus of unicellular green alga of the phylum Chlorophyta. This genus consists of free-living algae which have a reticulate (net-like) chloroplast that varies slightly in morphology between species, and that when mature a ...
''. ''Megalospora'' species are usually distinguished based on the type of ascospore, thallus chemistry, and the presence or absence of reproductive
propagule
In biology, a propagule is any material that functions in propagating an organism to the next stage in its life cycle, such as by dispersal. The propagule is usually distinct in form from the parent organism. Propagules are produced by organisms ...
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 ...
Megalospora albomarginata
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with '' Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only speci ...
Megalospora australiensis
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with '' Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only speci ...
''
*''
Megalospora austropacifica
''Megalospora austropacifica'' is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Megalosporaceae. It is found on the islands of Taveuni and Viti Levu in Fiji. It has a yellowish grey to whitish grey, glossy thallus t ...
'' –
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
*''
Megalospora caraibica
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with '' Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only speci ...
'' – Jamaica
*''
Megalospora clandestina
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with ''Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only speci ...
Megalospora flavoexcipulata
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with '' Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only speci ...
Megalospora galapagoensis
''Megalospora galapagoensis'' is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Megalosporaceae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. The lichen has a yellowish grey to whitish grey, glossy, and thick thallus t ...
Megalospora javanica
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with '' Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only speci ...
'' – Java
*''
Megalospora lopadioides
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with ''Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only speci ...
Megalospora occidentalis
''Megalospora occidentalis'' is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Megalosporaceae. Found in Australia, it was formally described as a new species in 1994 by lichenologist Gintaras Kantvilas. The type specim ...
Megalospora pauciseptata
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with ''Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only speci ...
Megalospora pupa
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with ''Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only speci ...
Megalospora subtuberculosa
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with ''Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only specie ...
''
*''
Megalospora sulphurata
''Megalospora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Megalosporaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1843 by Prussian botanist Franz Meyen, with '' Megalospora sulphurata'' assigned as the type, and at that time, only speci ...