''Schaereria bullata'' is a species of lichen in the family

Schaereriaceae ''Schaereria'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi. It is the sole genus in the family Schaereriaceae, which itself is the only family in the Schaereriales, an order in the subclass Ostropomycetidae of the class Lecanoromycetes. Taxonomy The gen ...

. It is found in the

alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

regions of

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, Australia. This lichen species is characterized by its dark brown to grey-brown

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 wer ...

, which forms irregular patches over soil or

bryophytes The Bryophyta s.l. are a proposed taxonomic division containing three groups of non-vascular land plants (embryophytes): the liverworts, hornworts and mosses. Bryophyta s.s. consists of the mosses only. They are characteristically limited i ...

, and consists of that coalesce to create convex to squamules. The lichen also features distinctive apothecia, which are roundish and typically superficial, and spherical

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

Taxonomy

''Schaereria bullata'' was described by Australian lichenologist

Gintaras Kantvilas Gintaras Kantvilas (born 1956) is an Australian lichenologist, who earned his Ph.D in 1985 from the University of Tasmania with a thesis entitled ''Studies on Tasmanian rainforest lichens''. He has authored over 432 species names, and 167 gener ...

. Its species epithet is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

term ''bullato'', referring to the (convex) nature of its s. The

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to a ...

for this species was found in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, specifically in the Legges Tor region, on

skeletal soil Orthents are soils defined in USDA soil taxonomy as entisols that lack due to either steep slopes or parent materials that contain no permanent weatherable minerals (such as ironstone). Typically, Orthents are exceedingly shallow soils. They ar ...

or directly on flat rock surfaces in an alpine boulder field.

Description

The

of ''S. bullata'' has a dark brown to grey-brown colouration, occasionally with hints of reddish brown. It forms scattered patches over soil or bryophytes, composed of that coalesce to create . These squamules are convex to bullate and may lack a , but they have an outer brownish layer. The cells within are irregularly roundish. The lichen also produces apothecia that are roundish and found either scattered or in clusters. These apothecia have a distinctive dark margin and a smooth to disc. 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 colourless, while the epithecial layer can appear pale reddish brown or yellowish brown. Ascospores are spherical and .

Similar species

In the alpine regions of Tasmania where ''Schaereria bullata'' thrives, several other lichen species share a similar habitat. These lichens, while distinct in their own right, can sometimes be mistaken for ''S. bullata'' due to overlapping ecological niches and certain superficial resemblances. Here are some of the similar species found in these high-altitude environments: '' Cetraria australiensis'': This lichen, commonly known as the "Australian Parmelia", often co-occurs with ''S. bullata''. It features a

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 mor ...

thallus with branched structures, making it appear bushy. While it can resemble ''S. bullata'' at first glance, especially when the latter is not displaying its characteristic bullate squamules, a closer examination reveals the differences. ''C. australiensis'' lacks the granular squamules of ''S. bullata'', and its growth form is fruticose rather than squamulose. '' Cladonia bimberiensis'': Another lichen found in Tasmania's alpine areas is ''C. bimberiensis'', which consists of fruticose structures known as

podetia A podetium (plural: podetia) is the upright secondary thallus in ''Cladonia'' lichens. It is a hollow stalk extending from the primary thallus. Podetia can be pointed stalks, club like, cupped, or branched in shape and may or may not contain the a ...

. These podetia often grow upright and are densely covered in tiny cups or squamules at their tips. While the overall growth form is different from ''S. bullata'', in certain growth stages, ''C. bimberiensis'' can resemble the bullate squamules of ''S. bullata''. However, they can be distinguished by their growth form and the presence of podetia, which are absent in ''S. bullata''. '' Protoparmelia badia'': This lichen is characterized by its

crustose Crustose is a habit of some types of algae and lichens in which the organism grows tightly appressed to a substrate, forming a biological layer. ''Crustose'' adheres very closely to the substrates at all points. ''Crustose'' is found on rocks and ...

thallus, which forms a thin, continuous layer on rocks. While ''P. badia'' shares the alpine habitat of ''S. bullata'', its morphology is strikingly different. Instead of squamules or podetia, it forms a smooth, crust-like layer that adheres closely to the substrate. The absence of bullate squamules or fruticose structures readily distinguishes ''P. badia'' from ''S. bullata''. ''

Umbilicaria subglabra Rock tripe is the common name for various lichens of the genus ''Umbilicaria'' that grow on rocks. They are widely distributed, including on bare rock in Antarctica, and throughout northern parts of North America such as New England and the Rocky ...

'': ''U. subglabra'' is a fruticose lichen with a leafy, lobed thallus. It grows on rocks and boulders, especially in alpine environments. While the growth form of ''U. subglabra'' is distinct from ''S. bullata'', they can sometimes share the same rock surfaces. However, the lobed and leafy appearance of ''U. subglabra'' is a clear distinguishing feature from the bullate squamules of ''S. bullata''.

Habitat and distribution

''Schaereria bullata'' is primarily found in the alpine regions of Tasmania, with a few occurrences in the

West Coast Range The West Coast Range is a mountain range located in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. The range lies to the west and north of the main parts of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. The range has had a significant number ...

. It prefers horizontal rock plates with temporary moisture accumulation, where a thin layer of soil develops. This habitat places it between the exposed rock surfaces populated by crustose lichens and the moister rock crevices inhabited by bryophytes. The species has been recorded at altitudes above in boulder fields, scree slopes, and cliffs. ''S. bullata'' is one of five '' Schaereria'' species that are found in Australia.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10663131 Lecanoromycetes Lichen species Lichens described in 1999 Lichens of Australia Taxa named by Gintaras Kantvilas