''Wetmoreana'' 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 ...

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

in the family

Teloschistaceae The Teloschistaceae are a large family of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. The family, estimated to contain over 1800 species, was extensively revised in 2013, including the creation o ...

. It has two

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 ...

, saxicolous (rock-dwelling) species.

Taxonomy

The genus 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 ...

in 2013 by Ulf Arup, Ulrik Søchting, and Patrik Frödén, with ''Wetmoreana texana'' 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 genus name honours lichenologist Clifford Wetmore, "in appreciation of his major contributions to the knowledge of the North American Teloschistaceae". Three species were included in the original circumscription of the genus, but two of them have since been transferred to the genus ''

Fulgogasparrea ''Fulgogasparrea'' is a genus of crustose lichens in the subfamily Xanthorioideae of the family Teloschistaceae. It has five species. The genus was circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed in 2013, with ''Fulgogasparrea decipioides'' assigned as ...

''. ''Wetmoreana tenax'' was transferred to the genus in 2013 (from ''

Xanthoria ''Xanthoria'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. Common names include orange lichen,

''), but later (2020) moved to the genus '' Massjukiella''.

Description

Both species of ''Wetmoreana'' are either

squamulose A squamulose lichen is a lichen that is composed of small, often overlapping "scales" called squamules. If they are raised from the substrate and appear leafy, the lichen may appear to be a foliose lichen, but the underside does not have a "skin ...

with distinct . The thallus often forms asexual

propagule In biology, a propagule is any material that functions in propagating an organism to the next stage in its life cycle, such as by dispersal. The propagule is usually distinct in form from the parent organism. Propagules are produced by organisms ...

s, such as ,

isidia An isidium is a vegetative reproductive structure present in some lichens. Isidia are outgrowths of the thallus surface, and are corticated (i.e., containing the outermost layer of the thallus), usually with a columnar structure, and consisting o ...

, or soredia. If apothecia are present, they are orange with a form.

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 are with

septa The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...

that are medium to long.

Species

* '' Wetmoreana brouardii'' – Africa; North America; South America;

Galápagos Islands The Galápagos Islands (Spanish: , , ) are an archipelago of volcanic islands. They are distributed on each side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere, and are part of the Republic of Ecuador ...

* ''

Wetmoreana texana ''Wetmoreana'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has two crustose lichen, crustose, saxicolous lichen, saxicolous (rock-dwelling) species. Taxonomy The genus was circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed in 201 ...

'' –

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, USA Former species: *''Wetmoreana appressa'' = ''

Fulgogasparrea appressa ''Fulgogasparrea appressa'' is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It has a widespread distribution in western Mexico, including Baja California. It is characterized by its vibrant colors, uniq ...

'' *''Wetmoreana decipioides'' = ''

Fulgogasparrea decipioides ''Fulgogasparrea decipioides'' is a species of lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in Gangwon Province, South Korea. This species was originally described in 2011by Ulf Arup as a member of the large genus ''Caloplaca''. The specifi ...

'' *''Wetmoreana tenax'' = '' Massjukiella tenax''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q25973301 Teloschistales Lichen genera Taxa described in 2013 Teloschistales genera Taxa named by Ulrik Søchting Taxa named by Patrik Frödén Taxa named by Ulf Arup