''Aspicilia'' (sunken disk lichen) is a genus of mostly crustose areolate

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.apothecia discs that are slightly immersed in the areolas, hence the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

.Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, Most of the species of this genus grow on calcareous and acidic rocks and most of the taxa prefer temperate and arctic habitats. Some members of the genus ''Aspicilia'' are pioneer species on granite and other hard rock, after which members of other lichen species may grow on them, such as members of ''

Acarospora ''Acarospora'' is a genus of mostly lichen-forming fungi in the family Acarosporaceae. Most species in the genus are crustose lichens that grow on rocks in open and arid places all over the world. They may look like a cobblestone road or cracked ...

''.ACAROPSPORA, Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 3., Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bugartz, F., (eds.) 2001

/ref>

Description

Members of this genus are weakly cracked to distinctly areolate, with a scattered to whole thallus, thalli. Some of the species of this genus are disc-shaped with plicate lobes at the circumference; these lobes may appear chalky white, grayish, greenish or brownish. Some possess

vegetative Vegetative describes vegetation. Vegetative may also refer to: *Vegetative reproduction Vegetative reproduction (also known as vegetative propagation, vegetative multiplication or cloning) is any form of asexual reproduction occurring in ...

means of propagation such as isidia (column-like structures of fungal and algal cells normally found on the top-side or outer cortex of the lichen) and soredia (structures that produce soralia, granule-like masses of intertwined fungal and algal cells occurring on top of the cortex and on the margins). They have characteristic ascomata which are mostly immersed but occasionally emergent. They have 4 to 8 spored

asci ASCI or Asci may refer to: * Advertising Standards Council of India * Asci, the plural of ascus, in fungal anatomy * Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative * American Society for Clinical Investigation * Argus Sour Crude Index * Association of ...

that are cylindrical to club-shaped. Their

ascospores An ascus (; ) is the sexual spore-bearing cell produced in ascomycete fungi. Each ascus usually contains eight ascospores (or octad), produced by meiosis followed, in most species, by a mitotic cell division. However, asci in some genera or ...

are typically

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 globose in shape, colorless and thin-walled. They often contain β-orcinol depsidones ( secondary metabolites of lichens) such as norstictic acid and

stictic acid Stictic acid is an aromatic organic compound, a product of secondary metabolism in some species of lichens. Stictic acid is the subject of preliminary biomedical research. Stictic acid has cytotoxic and apoptotic effects ''in vitro''. Computation ...

s; others have fatty acids or triterpenes. In genus ''Aspicilia'' dramatic changes in growth forms are very common, and some taxa may display extreme transitions within the same population or even changes within the same thallus.

Classification

Previously placed in the family

Hymeneliaceae Hymeneliaceae is a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Baeomycetales. It contains three genera and about 40 species. The family was circumscribed by German lichenologist Gustav Wilhelm Körber in 1855. Lichens in the Hymeneliaceae are s ...

, phylogenetic analyses indicate that the genus is better placed in the family

Megasporaceae Megasporaceae are a family of fungi belonging to the order Pertusariales. Taxa are lichenized with green algae, and grow on rocks, often in maritime climates close to fresh water. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that this family is related to the ...

Species

, Species Fungorum accepts 70 species of ''Aspicilia''. *''

Aspicilia abbasiana ''Aspicilia'' (sunken disk lichen) is a genus of mostly crustose lichen, crustose areolate lichen, areolate lichens that grow on rock. Most members have black apothecia discs that are slightly immersed in the areolas, hence the List of common na ...

'' *''

Aspicilia albosparsa ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia angelica ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia aquatica ''Aspicilia'' (sunken disk lichen) is a genus of mostly crustose lichen, crustose areolate lichen, areolate lichens that grow on rock. Most members have black apothecia discs that are slightly immersed in the areolas, hence the List of common na ...

'' *''

Aspicilia arizonica ''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, Step ...

'' *''

Aspicilia armeniaca ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia aurantiaca ''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, Step ...

'' *''

Aspicilia auricularis ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia berntii ''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, Step ...

'' *''

Aspicilia bicensis ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia blastidiata ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia boykinii ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia brucei ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia calcitrapa ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia californica ''Aspicilia californica'' (shrubby sunken disk lichen) is a small white to white mottled gray or gray-green foliose lichen, with stringy, terete, branch-like lobes. It is endemic to central and southern California, that grows on organic debris, m ...

'' *''

Aspicilia candida ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia cinerea ''Aspicilia cinerea'' (cinder lichen) is a gray to almost white, 1.5 – 15 cm wide, crustose lichen, crustose areolate lichen with large apothecia that mostly grows on rock in the mountains.Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. ...

'' *''

Aspicilia confusa ''Aspicilia confusa'' is a pale gray (sometimes brownish) crustose areolate lichen that grows mostly on rock in southern and central California mountains, from .Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, Lic ...

'' *''

Aspicilia corallophora ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia cuprea ''Aspicilia cuprea'', the copper sunken disk lichen, is a large diameter copperish-tan to brown crustose areolate lichen that forms large patches of adjacent lichens on rock ( saxicolous).Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Ya ...

'' *''

Aspicilia cyanescens ''Aspicilia cyanescens'' (bluish sunken disk lichen) is a rough surfaced, bluish-tinged pale gray rimose to areolate crustose lichen, endemic to California.Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, Aspicili ...

'' *''

Aspicilia desertorum ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia dubertretii ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia endochlora ''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, Step ...

'' *''

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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia euphratica ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia expansa ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia fluviatilis ''Aspicilia'' (sunken disk lichen) is a genus of mostly crustose lichen, crustose areolate lichen, areolate lichens that grow on rock. Most members have black apothecia discs that are slightly immersed in the areolas, hence the List of common na ...

'' *'' Aspicilia fruticulosofoliacea'' *''

Aspicilia fumosa ''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, Step ...

'' *''

Aspicilia granulosa ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia grisea ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia guadalupensis ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia humida ''Aspicilia humida'' is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) and crustose lichen in the family Megasporaceae. As a member of the ''Aspicilia cinerea'' species group, it is most closely related to that lichen as well as '' A. dudinensis' ...

'' – South Korea *''

Aspicilia knudsenii ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia laevata ''Aspicilia'' (sunken disk lichen) is a genus of mostly crustose lichen, crustose areolate lichen, areolate lichens that grow on rock. Most members have black apothecia discs that are slightly immersed in the areolas, hence the List of common na ...

'' *''

Aspicilia major ''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, ...

'' – Falkland Islands *''

Aspicilia nashii ''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, Step ...

'' *''

Aspicilia niesenensis ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia ochromelaena ''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, Step ...

'' *'' Aspicilia olivaceobrunnea'' *''

Aspicilia olivaceopallida ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia pacifica ''Aspicilia pacifica'' (pacific sunken disk lichen) is a white to grayish, brownish, or ocher crustose areolate lichen that commonly grows on siliceous rock or basalt along the seashore and in higher coastal mountains of California and Baja Calif ...

'' *'' Aspicilia peltastictoides'' *''

Aspicilia persica ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia phaea ''Aspicilia phaea'' (dusky sunken disk lichen) is a grayish brown to tan areolate crustose lichen commonly found on rock in coastal to inland parts of central and southern California. Described as new to science in 2007,Field Guide to Californ ...

'' *''

Aspicilia prestensis ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia pseudoabbasiana ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia pseudovulcanica ''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, Step ...

'' *''

Aspicilia punctiformis ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia reagens ''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, Step ...

'' *'' Aspicilia santamonicae'' *''

Aspicilia serpentinicola ''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, Step ...

'' *''

Aspicilia sipeana ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia stalagmitica ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia straussii ''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 ...

'' *'' Aspicilia subcaesia'' *''

Aspicilia subdepressa ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia subepiglypta ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia subfarinosa ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia subgeographica ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia subgoettweigensis ''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, Step ...

'' *''

Aspicilia submamillata ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia substerilis ''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 ...

'' *''

Aspicilia substictica ''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, ...

'' *''

Aspicilia taurica ''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 ...

'' *'' Aspicilia tuberculosa'' *''

Aspicilia verrucigera ''Aspicilia'' (sunken disk lichen) is a genus of mostly crustose lichen, crustose areolate lichen, areolate lichens that grow on rock. Most members have black apothecia discs that are slightly immersed in the areolas, hence the List of common na ...

Gallery

Image:Aspicilia_caesiocinerea-2.jpg, ''

Aspicilia caesiocinerea ''Circinaria caesiocinerea'' is a species of lichen belonging to the family Megasporaceae. It was first described as ''Lecanora caesiocinerea'' in 1869 by William Nylander, but was transferred to the genus '' Circinaria'' in 2010 by Anders Nordi ...

'' Image:Aspicilia_cinerea-1.jpg, ''

'' Image:Aspicilia_caesiocinerea-7.jpg, Photograph of a cross section of an apothecium of ''A. caesiocinerea'' taken through a compound microscope, x 100. Note the dark olive epihymenium. Image:Aspicilia cinerea-2.jpg, Photograph of a section of an apothecium of ''A. cinerea'' taken through a compound microscope (x400) showing algae in the amphithecium of the thalline margin. (Lecanorine-type apothecium) Image:Aspicilia caesiocinerea-9.jpg, Photograph of an ascus from ''A. caesiocinerea'' taken through a compound microscope (x1000) showing 8 spores per ascus. (Spores measure approximately 15 x 11 micrometres.)

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q4807987 Pertusariales Lichen genera Pertusariales genera Taxa named by Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo Taxa described in 1852