''Pseudevernia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

foliose lichen Foliose lichen is one of the morphological classes of lichens, which are complex organisms that arise from the symbiotic relationship between fungi and a photosynthetic partner, typically algae. This partnership allows lichen to live in dive ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Parmeliaceae The Parmeliaceae is a large and diverse family of Lecanoromycetes. With over 2700 species in 71 genera, it is the largest family of lichen-forming fungi. The most speciose genera in the family are the well-known groups: '' Xanthoparmelia'' ( ...

. The

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...

of the genus, ''

Pseudevernia furfuracea ''Pseudevernia furfuracea'', commonly known as tree moss, is a lichenized species of fungus that grows on the bark of firs and pines. The lichen is rather sensitive to air pollution, its presence usually indicating good air conditions in the gro ...

'' ( commonly known as tree moss), has substantial commercial value in the perfume industry.

Systematics

''Pseudevernia'' 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 ...

by German botanist

Friedrich Wilhelm Zopf Friedrich (or Friederich) Wilhelm Zopf (12 December 1846 – 24 June 1909) was a well-known German botanist and mycologist. He dedicated to his whole life with fungal biology, particularly in classification of fungi and dye production in fungi an ...

in 1903 with ''

'' as the

. ''Pseudevernia'' is a member of the Hypogymnioid clade of the family Parmeliaceae; this clade, which also includes the genera ''

Arctoparmelia ''Arctoparmelia'' is a genus of ring lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. The genus was circumscribed by American lichenologist Mason Hale in 1986 with '' A. centrifuga'' (formerly in '' Xanthoparmelia'') as the type species. Hale include ...

'', '' Brodoa'', and ''

Hypogymnia ''Hypogymnia'' is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. They are commonly known as tube lichens, bone lichens, or pillow lichens. Most species lack rhizines (root-like attachment organs on the lower surface) that are otherwise c ...

'', is an evolutionary lineage comprising species occurring in

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

to subpolar regions in both hemispheres. ''Pseudevernia'' has been estimated to have diverged from its closest ancestors during the Oligocene at 31.43 Ma, and is the earliest-diverging member of the Hypogymnioid clade.

Description

''Pseudevernia'' lichens generally have a

foliose Foliose lichen is one of the morphological classes of lichens, which are complex organisms that arise from the symbiotic relationship between fungi and a photosynthetic partner, typically algae. This partnership allows lichen to live in diverse ...

(leafy)

thallus Thallus (plural: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. Many of these organisms ...

, although occasionally it becomes almost

fruticose A fruticose lichen is a form of lichen fungi that is characterized by a coral-like shrubby or bushy growth structure. It is formed from a symbiotic relationship of a photobiont such as green algae or less commonly cyanobacteria and one, two or ...

in form. This is the case with ''P. cladonia'', which has intricately branched lobes about 1 mm wide; the lobes of most other ''Pseudevernia'' species are 2–4 mm wide. The lower surface of the thallus often darkens to a purplish-black or mottled white colour, a striking feature that is characteristic of this genus. Several secondary chemicals are produced amongst ''Pseudevernia'' lichens. All species in the genus produce

atranorin Atranorin is a chemical substance produced by some species of lichen. It is a secondary metabolite belonging to a group of compounds known as depsides. Atranorin has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic, antioxidant, ...

in the

cortex Cortex or cortical may refer to: Biology * Cortex (anatomy), the outermost layer of an organ ** Cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the vertebrate cerebrum, part of which is the ''forebrain'' *** Motor cortex, the regions of the cerebral cortex i ...

, while lecanoric acid, physodic acid, and olivetoric acid occur in the medullae of some species.

Species

Pseudevernia consocians and cladonia - Flickr - pellaea

*''

Pseudevernia alectoronica ''Pseudevernia'' is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. The type species of the genus, '' Pseudevernia furfuracea'' ( commonly known as tree moss), has substantial commercial value in the perfume industry. Systematics ''Pseud ...

'' Egan (2016) – Mexico *'' Pseudevernia cladonia'' (Tuck.) Hale & W.L.Culb. (1966) – eastern North America; Dominican Republic *'' Pseudevernia confusa'' (Du Rietz) R.Schub. & Klem. (1966) *'' Pseudevernia consocians'' (Vain.) Hale & W.L.Culb. (1966) – North America *''

'' (L.) Zopf (1903) – cosmopolitan *'' Pseudevernia intensa'' (Nyl.) Hale & W.L.Culb. (1966) – North America *'' Pseudevernia isidiophora'' (Zopf) Zopf (1903) *'' Pseudevernia mexicana'' Egan (2016) *'' Pseudevernia soralifera'' (Bitter) Zopf (1903) – Europe Some species once classified in ''Pseudevernia'' have since been reduced to

synonymy 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 other species, or have been transferred to other genera. These include: *''Pseudevernia cirrhata'' is now known as '' Hypotrachyna cirrhata''. *''Pseudevernia kamerunensis'' is now known as '' Hypotrachyna sorocheila''. *''Pseudevernia molliuscula'' and ''Pseudevernia thamnidiella'' are synonymous '' Xanthoparmelia molliuscula''. *''Pseudevernia olivetorina'' and ''Pseudevernia ericetorum'' have been folded into synonymy with ''Pseudevernia furfuracea''. *''Pseudevernia mauritiana'' is synonymous with '' Parmelia microblasta''. *''Pseudevernia polita'' is now '' Parmotrema cetratum''. Molecular phylogenetic analysis suggests that the North American species ''P. consocians'' and ''P. intensa'' do not form separate monophyletic groups, and so might be the same species.

References

Cited literature

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q7254355 Parmeliaceae Lichen genera Lecanorales genera Taxa named by Friedrich Wilhelm Zopf Taxa described in 1903