''Pyrenula luteopruinosa'' is a species of
corticolous (bark-dwelling),
crustose lichen in the family
Pyrenulaceae
The Pyrenulaceae are a family of fungi in the order Pyrenulales. The family was first named by German botanist Gottlob Ludwig Rabenhorst in 1870. Species in the family have a widespread distribution, but are especially prevalent in the tropics, wh ...
. It has a
neotropical distribution, occurring in Panama, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii.
Taxonomy
Formally described as a new species in 2003 by lichenologists Javiar Etayo and
André Aptroot
André Aptroot (Heemskerk, 1961) is a Dutch mycologist and lichenologist.
In 1993 he did his PhD at the University of Utrecht under the supervision of Robbert Gradstein (nl). His dissertation was titled "Systematic studies on pyrenocarpous li ...
, the
species epithet Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany)
A botanical name ...
''luteopruinosa'' refers to the characteristic yellow
pruina on its
perithecia. The
type specimen was collected near a frog trail (genus ''
Dendrobates'') in
Bahía Honda, Veraguas
Bahía Honda is a corregimiento in Soná District, Veraguas Province, Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part ...
; in this habitat in lowland
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 ...
on the Pacific coast of
Panama, the lichen was found growing on the smooth bark of a tree.
Description
The lichen has a small, brown to dark brown, smooth
thallus lacking a
cortex and a
prothallus. Its
apothecia are in the form of
perithecia, partially immersed in the substrata, measuring 0.5–0.6 mm in diameter. The perithecia are covered by a characteristic lemon-yellow
pruina – dust-like particles of crystalline pigment. The
ascospores are
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 ...
to somewhat cylindrical with conical ends, have 3
septa, and typically measure 14–19 by 8–10
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 ...
.
''
Pyrenula pileata'', found in upland and alpine areas of the Philippines and New Guinea, is similar in appearance to ''P. luteopruinosa'', but it lacks the yellow pruina, has larger ascomata (1.3–2.2 mm), and larger ascospores (16–24 x 8–13 μm).
See also
*
List of ''Pyrenula'' species
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10647413
luteopruinosa
Lichen species
Lichens described in 2003
Lichens of Central America
Lichens of Hawaii
Lichens of the Caribbean
Taxa named by André Aptroot
Taxa named by Javier Angel Etayo Salazar