''Varicellaria'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

crustose lichen Crustose lichens are lichens that form a crust which strongly adheres to the Substrate (biology), substrate (soil, rock, tree bark, etc.), making separation from the substrate impossible without destruction. The basic structure of crustose lichen ...

s. It is the only genus in the

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

Varicellariaceae.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Varicellaria'' 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 Finnish lichenologist William Nylander in 1858, with ''

Varicellaria microsticta ''Varicellaria'' is a genus of crustose lichens. It is the only genus in the family Varicellariaceae. Taxonomy The genus ''Varicellaria'' was circumscribed by Finnish lichenologist William Nylander in 1858, with '' Varicellaria microsticta'' as ...

'' assigned as 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 specimen ...

. The family Varicellariaceae, containing only the type genus ''Varicellaria'', was informally proposed by Brendan Hodkinson, Richard Harris, and James Lendemer in 2011. H. Thorsten Lumbsch and Steven Leavitt formally published the family in 2018. However, the taxon was not validly published because "an identifier issued by a recognized repository was not cited in the protologue", contrary to rules of

botanical nomenclature Botanical nomenclature is the formal, scientific naming of plants. It is related to, but distinct from Alpha taxonomy, taxonomy. Plant taxonomy is concerned with grouping and classifying plants; botanical nomenclature then provides names for the ...

. This nomenclatural oversight was rectified later the same year in a separate publication.

Description

Characteristics of the family Varicellariaceae are similar to those of its genus. These are: a crustose thallus, unicellular

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 ...

photobiont A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Trebouxia ''Trebouxia'' is a unicellular green alga.Silverside, A. J. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.bioref.lastdragon.org/Chlorophyta/''Trebouxia''.html It is a photosynthetic organism that can exist in almost all habitats found in polar, tropical, and ...

'', ascomata in the form of disc-like apothecia, non- amyloid gel in 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 ...

, strongly amyloid, one- or two-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 ...

, and

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from el, ὑάλινος, translit=hyálinos, lit=transparent, and el, ὕαλος, translit=hýalos, lit=crystal, glass, label=none. Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is ...

, thick-walled, one-layered, one- or two-celled

ascospore 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 s ...

s. Collectively, the species in genus ''Varicellaria'' have a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...

Species

*'' Varicellaria culbersonii'' *'' Varicellaria emeiensis'' – China *'' Varicellaria hemisphaerica'' *'' Varicellaria kasandjeffii'' *'' Varicellaria lactea'' *''

'' *'' Varicellaria philippina'' *'' Varicellaria rhodocarpa'' *''

Varicellaria velata ''Varicellaria'' is a genus of crustose lichens. It is the only genus in the family Varicellariaceae. Taxonomy The genus ''Varicellaria'' was circumscribed by Finnish lichenologist William Nylander in 1858, with ''Varicellaria microsticta'' ass ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10713040 Pertusariales Pertusariales genera Lichen genera Taxa described in 1858 Taxa named by William Nylander (botanist)