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 subfamily Teloschistoideae of the family Teloschistaceae. It has two species of crustose lichens that are found in Australia.
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 po ...
in 2017 by the lichenologists
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 ...
and Jae-Seoun Hur, with ''Nevilleiella marchantii'' assigned as the type species. Both the genus name ''Nevilleiella'', and the
epithet
An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...
of the type species, ''marchantii'', honour Western Australian botanist Neville Graeme Marchant, who accompanied the authors during their field work.
Description
The genus ''Nevilleiella'' consists of crustose lichens, which means they form a crust-like layer over their . These lichens are characterised by almost spherical, -like structures or by discrete, widely spread (small, cracked patches) that do not cover the entire surface. Their colour varies from brownish yellow to brownish orange, and they sometimes have a whitish, powdery coating (). The areoles themselves are quite diverse in shape, ranging from convex and warty to almost spherical, and they occasionally develop -like formations, which are small, split-off parts of the lichen. The , or the outer layer, has a tightly packed cellular structure (palisade ).
The reproductive structures of ''Nevilleiella'', known as apothecia, are typically of the form, meaning they have a clearly distinguishable margin and , but can sometimes become , where the margin is less distinct. The disc and its own margin are rusty brownish orange or brownish orange, blending in with the thallus. The , the outer layer of tissue surrounding the reproductive cells, also has a tightly packed cellular structure with a distinct matrix at the base. The , the layer beneath the reproductive cells, contains oil droplets. The are , meaning they have two cells divided by a nearly invisible
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 ...
(internal partition), which is more visible when treated with a solution of potassium hydroxide. The , a type of asexual spore, are narrowly rod-shaped, measuring 3–4
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 length and 0.8–1 μm in width.
Chemically, ''Nevilleiella'' is defined by the presence of several secondary metabolites ( lichen products). Parietin is the major chemical present, with
fallacinal
Fallacinal is an organic compound in the structural class of chemicals known as anthraquinones. It is found in many species of the lichen family Teloschistaceae.
History
In 1936, Japanese chemists Mitizo Asano and Sinobu Fuziwara reported on the ...
as a somewhat major or minor component. It also contains
parietinic acid
Parietinic acid is an organic compound in the structural class of chemicals known as anthraquinones. It is found in many species of the lichen family Teloschistaceae. The substance was first reported in the literature by the German chemist Walter ...
and
teloschistin
Fallacinol (teloschistin) is an organic compound in the structural class of chemicals known as anthraquinones. It is found in some lichens, particularly in the family Teloschistaceae, as well as a couple of plants and non lichen-forming fungi. In ...
, which are present in minor or trace amounts.
The genus ''
Iqbalia
''Iqbalia'' is a single-species fungal genus in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains ''Iqbalia kashmirensis'', a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen found in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.
Taxonomy
''Iqbalia'' was circumscribed in 2022 b ...
'', proposed in 2022 for the Pakistani species ''Iqbalia kashmirensis'', shares similarities with ''Nevilleiella'' but can be distinguished by several key differences. Unlike ''Nevilleiella'', ''Iqbalia'' features discrete, non-aggregated areoles and lacks schizidia-like formations. Its ascospores have a wide septum when observed in water. Additionally, ''Iqbalia'' contains variolaric acid and forms a distinct, strong
monophyletic
In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
branch within the subfamily Teloschistoideae.
Habitat and distribution
''Nevilleiella'' lichens typically develop as crusty layer on clayey soil in salt-rich environments, as well as in open spaces or mallee regions. It is also found on siliceous rocks along coastlines, as well as in rough pastures, heathlands, and dry sclerophyll forests across the Australian continent.
Species
* ''
Nevilleiella lateritia
''Nevilleiella'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the subfamily Teloschistoideae of the family Teloschistaceae. It has two species of crustose lichens that are found in Australia.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscription (taxonomy), circums ...
''
* ''
Nevilleiella marchantii
''Nevilleiella marchantii'' is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Found in Australia, it was formally described as a new species in 2007. The thallus of ''Nevilleiella marchantii'' spre ...