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 Teloschistaceae. It contains five species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that are found in a variety of environments in the Northern Hemisphere.
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 ...
Edit Farkas
Edit may refer to:
Concepts
* an action that is part of an editing process (including Image editing, of images, Video editing, video, and Film editing, film)
* a particular version that is the result of editing, especially of film (for examp ...
, with ''Pisutiella conversa'' assigned as the type species. This species was originally described in 1861 by
August von Krempelhuber
August von Krempelhuber (14 September 1813 – 2 October 1882) was a German lichenologist born in Munich.
Born into nobility, he studied forestry at the University of Munich. Through his work in forestry, he developed an interest in lichens, sub ...
as ''Callopisma conversum'', and was later known as a member of the large genus ''
Caloplaca
''Caloplaca'' is a lichen genus comprising a number of distinct species. Members of the genus are commonly called firedot lichen, jewel lichen.Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, gold lichens, "ora ...
''. The genus name was chosen by the authors to honour the Slovak lichenologist
Ivan Pišút
Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulga ...
(1935–2017), "to acknowledge his great contribution to our knowledge on lichens of the Carpathians and in recognition of his general contribution to lichenology".
''Pisutiella'' is in the subfamily Caloplacoideae of the family Teloschistaceae.
Description
The lichen genus ''Pisutiella'' features a crustose thallus that varies greatly in appearance depending on the species. It can be well-developed, with a thick, structure ranging in colour from grey to light grey, brownish grey, or blackish grey when found on rock surfaces. In some cases, it presents as distinct, orbicular patches on the thalli of host lichens. The thallus can also be reduced to just a few brown to deep brownish-grey or may be entirely absent, particularly when ''Pisutiella'' grows on other lichens. When the thallus of ''Pisutiella'' is fully developed it is characteristically thick with a well-formed cortical layer, although it does not produce vegetative
diaspores
In botany, a diaspore is a plant dispersal unit consisting of a seed or spore plus any additional tissues that assist dispersal. In some seed plants, the diaspore is a seed and fruit together, or a seed and elaiosome. In a few seed plants, the di ...
.
The apothecia, or spore-producing structures, of ''Pisutiella'' can be lecanorine or with a margin that matches the colour of the thallus. Over time, this margin may fade. The apothecial shows a variety of colours, ranging from dull brownish tones to reddish brown or rusty brown, and they can also be blackish brown. Some species have apothecia with a distinct yellow-orange margin. These are either immersed or semi-immersed in the thallus. The , or the top layer above 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 ...
, is a dull yellowish colour.
The asci, the sac-like structures where spores are formed, are (club-shaped) and of the ''
Teloschistes
''Teloschistes'' is a genus of lichens in the family Teloschistaceae. It was circumscribed by Norwegian botanist Johannes Musaeus Norman in 1852. The name of the genus means "split ends".
Species
*'' Teloschistes chrysophthalmus''
*'' Teloschis ...
''-type, typically containing eight spores each. The ascospores are and
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 ...
in shape, occasionally with a noticeable swelling at 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 ...
. Conidiomata, which are asexual reproductive structures, follow the ''Xanthoria'' type, and the
conidia
A conidium ( ; ), sometimes termed an asexual chlamydospore or chlamydoconidium (), is an asexual, non-motile spore of a fungus. The word ''conidium'' comes from the Ancient Greek word for dust, ('). They are also called mitospores due to the ...
– asexual spores – are widely or slightly in shape.
Chemically, the thallus usually does not react to potassium hydroxide (i.e., the K spot test), or in rare instances, the cortical layer may show a light pink reaction. The apothecial disc reacts to potassium hydroxide turning red, while the epihymenium turns purple. While the content of anthraquinone in the apothecial disc is often not investigated, lichen products such as parietin, emodin, and
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 ...
have been documented in some ''Pisutiella'' species.
Habitat and distribution
The genus ''Pisutiella'' can be found across a diverse range of plant communities and ecosystems throughout the Northern Hemisphere's continents. ''Pisutiella'' species are found primarily on scattered boulders rich in bases or containing lime in siliceous rocks, and occasionally on dense limestone and dolomite. They also grow on
moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...
es or as lichen dwellers, inhabiting the bodies and fruiting structures of lichens such as ''
Aspicilia epiglypta
''Aspicilia'' (sunken disk lichen) is a genus of mostly crustose areolate lichens that grow on rock. Most members have black apothecia discs that are slightly immersed in the areolas, hence the common name.Field Guide to California Lichens, Ste ...
'' and various other ''Aspicilia'' species, along with ''
Candelariella vitellina
''Candelariella vitellina'' is a common and widespread green-yellow to orange-yellow crustose areolate lichen that grows on rock, wood, and bark, all over the world.Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 2, Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., ...
'', '' C. coralliza'', and other crustose lichen species. These lichens occupy elevations ranging from across various ecological zones, with the exception of damp, non-mountainous environments.
Pisutiella congrediens
''Pisutiella'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains five species of saxicolous lichen, saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that are found in a variety of environments in the Northern Hemisphere.
...
''
* ''
Pisutiella conversa
''Pisutiella'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains five species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that are found in a variety of environments in the Northern Hemisphere.
Taxonomy
The genu ...
''
* ''
Pisutiella grimmiae
''Pisutiella'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains five species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that are found in a variety of environments in the Northern Hemisphere.
Taxonomy
The genu ...
''
* ''
Pisutiella ivanpisutii
''Pisutiella'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains five species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that are found in a variety of environments in the Northern Hemisphere.
Taxonomy
The genu ...
''
* ''
Pisutiella phaeothamnos
''Pisutiella'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains five species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that are found in a variety of environments in the Northern Hemisphere.
Taxonomy
The genu ...
''
''Pisutiella furax'' is one species that was originally proposed for inclusion in the genus, but it is now classified in 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 ...