Lobaria
''Lobaria'' is a genus of foliose lichens, formerly classified in the family Lobariaceae, but now placed in the Peltigeraceae. They are commonly known as "lung wort" or "lungmoss" as their physical shape somewhat resembles a lung, and their ecol ...
'', except that most species of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' have conspicuous
pseudocyphella
Pseudocyphellae (singular ''pseudocyphella'') are structures in lichens that appear as tiny pores on the outer surface (the cortex of the lichen. They are caused when there is a break in the cortex of the lichen, and the medullary hyphae extend t ...
e on their lower surface, a characteristic that was once considered unique to this genus. Some species contain
pulvinic acid
Pulvinic acids are natural chemical pigments found in some lichens, derived biosynthetically from the aromatic amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine, via dimerization and oxidative ring-cleavage of aryl pyruvic acids, a process that also produ ...
-related pigments; in these species the soredia and pseudocyphellae can be bright yellow.
Taxonomy
''Pseudocyphellaria'' was originally
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 1890 by Finnish lichenologist
Edvard August Vainio
Edvard August Vainio (born Edvard Lang; 5 August 185314 May 1929) was a Finnish lichenology, lichenologist. His early works on the lichens of Lapland (Finland), Lapland, his three-volume monograph on the lichen genus ''Cladonia'', and, in parti ...
, with ''P. aurata'' as the type species. In the 2010s,
molecular phylogenetic
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
analyses showed that this species, along with a few others, nested within a small
clade
A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
separate from most ''Pseudocyphellaria''. These species, characterised by a yellow medulla containing
pulvinic acid
Pulvinic acids are natural chemical pigments found in some lichens, derived biosynthetically from the aromatic amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine, via dimerization and oxidative ring-cleavage of aryl pyruvic acids, a process that also produ ...
derivatives and fernene
triterpenoid
Triterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of three terpene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of six isoprene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squale ...
Nostoc
''Nostoc'', also known as star jelly, troll’s butter, spit of moon, fallen star, witch's butter (not to be confused with the fungi commonly known as witches' butter), and witch’s jelly, is the most common genus of cyanobacteria found in vari ...
'' as a photobiont, which allows nitrogen fixation. In some species of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' the cyanobacterium is the sole photobiont, while other species also contain the
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 ...
''
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 ...
'' and restrict the cyanobacterium to warty
cephalodia {{Short description, Morphological structure found in some lichens
Cephalodia (singular cephalodium) are small gall-like structures found in some species of lichens that contain cyanobacterial symbionts
Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living toget ...
on the lower surface of the lichen.
Some species of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' appear to be able to use either a cyanobacterium or a green algae as their photobiont. DNA tests have shown that the fungal symbionts in ''P. murrayi'' (which is in a symbiosis with a cyanobacterium) and ''P. rufovirescens'' (which is in a symbiosis with a green alga) are actually the same species. This means that ''P. murrayi''-''P. rufovirescens'' is actually one species of fungus that is capable of forming two very different lichens, one with a cyanobacterium and one with a green alga. Two other possible pairs of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' species that may be capable of choosing their photobiont are ''P. knightii''-''P. lividofusca'', and ''P. kookeri''-''P. durietzii''.
Ecological significance
Most ''Pseudocyphellaria'' grow on trees in coastal areas, from the subtropics to the boreal zones, although some species can occasionally be found growing on mossy rocks or growing inland. Many species of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' are restricted to
old-growth forest
An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...
s in humid areas, and are therefore threatened by logging. The limited light conditions of dense young forests can severely decrease the growth of ''Pseudocyphellaria crocata'' compared to more open, old-growth forests, and the excess of light from clearcuts can also cause damage to the lichen. Because they are often restricted to humid forests in undisturbed areas, species of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' are often used as indicators of valuable old growth forests.
''Pseudocyphellaria rainierensis'' is listed as vulnerable in Canada by COSEWIC. ''Pseudocyphellaria crocata'' has disappeared from much of Scandinavia, a development that has been partly attributed to an increase in grazing from snails, presumably as a result of global warming. In the areas of Scandinavia where ''P. crocata'' is still found, it seems restricted to growing on smaller twigs that are harder for the snails to reach.
Species
*''
Pseudocyphellaria allanii
''Pseudocyphellaria allanii'' is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) and foliose (leafy) lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. Found in New Zealand, it was formally described as a new species in 1982 by Bernd Renner and David Galloway. The ...
'' – New Zealand
*''
Pseudocyphellaria argyracea
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
Pseudocyphellaria brattii
''Pseudocyphellaria brattii'' is a species of foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It was described as new to science in 1997 by lichenologists David John Galloway and Gintaras Kantvilas. The type specimen was collected along Mt. Dun ...
Pseudocyphellaria chloroleuca
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus ha ...
Pseudocyphellaria clathrata
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
''
*''
Pseudocyphellaria confusa
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
''
*''
Pseudocyphellaria crocata
''Pseudocyphellaria crocata'' is a species of lichen in the family Peltigeraceae of the ascomycetes.
Its predators include the land snail ''Notodiscus hookeri''.Gadea, A., Le Pogam, P., Biver, G., Boustie, J., Le Lamer, A. C., Le Dévéhat, F., ...
Pseudocyphellaria epiflavoides
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
Pseudocyphellaria gallowayana
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
''
*''
Pseudocyphellaria gilva
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus ha ...
''
*''
Pseudocyphellaria glabra
''Pseudocyphellaria glabra'' is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It has a pale-green upper thallus surface, a white medulla and white pseudocyphellae (tiny pores for gas exchange).
Distributi ...
Pseudocyphellaria intricata
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus ha ...
''
*''
Pseudocyphellaria lacerata
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
''
*''
Pseudocyphellaria longiloba
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
''
*''
Pseudocyphellaria louwhoffiae
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
Pseudocyphellaria mallota
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
Pseudocyphellaria neglecta
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
Pseudocyphellaria patagonica
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
Pseudocyphellaria punctillaris
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
Pseudocyphellaria rubella
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
''
*''
Pseudocyphellaria rubrina
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
''
*''
Pseudocyphellaria rufovirescens
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
''
*''
Pseudocyphellaria sandwicensis
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus has ...
Pseudocyphellaria semilanata
''Pseudocyphellaria'' is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens.Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. ''Lichens of North America''. Yale University Press: New Haven. The genus ha ...
Several species of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' can be utilized to produce a brown to orange-brown dye,Brough, S. G. 1984. Dye characteristics of British Columbia forest lichens. ''Syesis'' 17: 81–94. and some of them have been used to dye wool in Britain and Scandinavia.Uphof, J. C. T. 1959. ''Dictionary of Economic Plants''. Hafner Publishing Co.: New York. One species of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' is used in Madagascar to make a tea used to treat indigestion.
Besides being yellow, pulvinic acid derivatives are highly toxic. Any species of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' that has yellow structures probably contains one of these compounds,Garbarino, J. A., W. Quilhot, M. Piovano, and C. Rubio. 1991. Studies on Chilean lichens. XVIII. Additions to the chemistry of Pseudocyphellaria. ''Boletin De La Sociedad Chilena De Quimica'' 36(4): 229-231. and may be toxic if ingested.
Gallery
Image:Pseudocyphellaria2.jpg, ''Pseudocyphellaria corifolia'' growing in Parque Etnobotanico Omora on
Isla Navarino
Navarino Island () is a Chilean island located between Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, to the north, and Cape Horn, to the south. The island forms part of the Commune of Cabo de Hornos, the southernmost commune in Chile and in the world, belong ...
, Chile. This species has brown
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 ...
and
black apothecia
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorption of visible spectrum, visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or fi ...
.
Image:Pseudocyphellaria3.jpg, ''Pseudocyphellaria granulata'' growing in Parque Etnobotanico Omora on
Isla Navarino
Navarino Island () is a Chilean island located between Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, to the north, and Cape Horn, to the south. The island forms part of the Commune of Cabo de Hornos, the southernmost commune in Chile and in the world, belong ...
, Chile. This species has brilliant yellow
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 ...
.
Image:Pseudocyphellaria4.jpg, A species of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' growing in the Patagonian Andes near
Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche (), is a city in the province of Río Negro Province, Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located within the Nahuel ...
, Argentina. This species has brilliant yellow
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 ...
.
Image:Pseudocyphellaria5.jpg, Yellow pseudocyphellea on the underside of a species of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' growing near
Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche (), is a city in the province of Río Negro Province, Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located within the Nahuel ...