''Multiclavula ichthyiformis'' is a species of

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 ...

(ground-dwelling) basidiolichen in the family

Hygrophoraceae The Hygrophoraceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. Originally conceived as containing white-spored, thick-gilled agarics (gilled mushrooms), including ''Hygrophorus'' and ''Hygrocybe'' species (the waxcaps or waxy caps), DNA evide ...

. Found in Costa Rica, it was formally described as a new species in 2007 by Matthew Nelsen,

Robert Lücking Robert Lücking (born 1964) is a German lichenologist. He is a leading expert on foliicolous lichens–lichens that live on leaves. Life and career Born in Ulm in 1964, Lücking earned both his master's (1990) and PhD degree (1994) at the Univer ...

, Loengrin Umaña, Marie Trest, and Susan Will-Wolf. The type collection was collected in the Macizo de la Muerte section of Tapantí National Park (

Cartago Province Cartago (), which means Carthage in Spanish, is a province of central Costa Rica. It is one of the smallest provinces, however probably the richest of the Spanish Colonial era sites and traditions. Geography It is located in the central part ...

) at an elevation of . Here, in a

disturbed Disturbed may refer to: Books * ''Disturbed'', a 2011 novel by Kevin O'Brien (author) Film and TV * ''Disturbed'' (film), a 1990 film starring Malcolm McDowell * "Disturbed" (''Numb3rs''), a 2009 episode of ''Numb3rs'' * "The Disturbed", a 20 ...

high-altitude peat bog in a

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

, it was found growing on the ground along a brook and a road bank. The thallus of ''Multiclavula ichthyiformis'' is barely discernible as a greenish layer on the soil up to across, containing colonies of

green algae 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 ...

(the photobiont, from the genus ''

Coccomyxa ''Coccomyxa'' is a genus of green algae 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) h ...

'')) and fungal

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. The

fruit bodies The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...

are fleshy, unbranched, and lanceolate, with a fishtail-like lamina. The species epithet ''ichthyiformis'' refers to this latter feature. Its basidiospores are smooth and spherical, thin-walled and

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 ...

, and measure 4–6

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 diameter. Other ground-dwelling lichens that were prevalent in this habitat included ''

Cladia aggregata ''Cladia'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Cladoniaceae. ''Cladia'' species have a crustose primary thallus and a fruticose, secondary thallus, often referred to as pseudopodetium. The type species of the genus, '' Cladia aggregata'' ...

'', ''

Cladonia confusa ''Cladonia'' is a genus of moss-like lichens in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer/caribou. ''Cladonia'' species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or the Nenets ...

'', '' Dictyonema glabratum'', '' Icmadophila aversa'', ''

Phyllobaeis imbricata ''Phyllobaeis'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Baeomycetaceae. It has six species. The genus was circumscribed by lichenologists Klaus Kalb and Claudia Gierl in 1993, with '' Phyllobaeis imbricata'' assigned as the type spec ...

'', and ''

Siphula ceratites ''Siphula'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the Icmadophilaceae family. The widespread genus contains about 33 species. ''Siphula'' was circumscribed by Swedish mycologist Elias Fries in 1831. Species *'' Siphula abbatiana'' *'' Siphula abs ...

''.

References

Hygrophoraceae Lichen species Lichens described in 2007 Lichens of Central America Taxa named by Robert Lücking Basidiolichens {{Agaricomycetes-stub