''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) foliose lichen 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 is found in various locations across the Palearctic realm, having been recorded in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, where it grows in

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 ...

and cold desert areas.

Taxonomy

''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' was described by

Sergey Kondratyuk Sergey Yakovlevich Kondratyuk ( uk, Сергій Якович Кондратюк) (born 17 May 1959) is a Ukrainian botanist specialising in lichenology. His research deals with the taxonomy, floristics, ecology and geography of lichens and lic ...

, Behrouz Zarei-Darki, and Jae-Seoun Hur. Its species epithet is derived from the Esfahan Province in Iran, where the type specimen was collected. Its location specifics are Esfahan Province, roughly south of Tehran, near the outskirts of the Natanz settlement within the Karkas hunting-prohibited Region, at an altitude of . Molecular studies have shown that the taxonomic position of ''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' remains somewhat uncertain. While certain genetic markers suggest it belongs to the ''

Zeroviella ''Zeroviella'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the subfamily Xanthorioideae of the family Teloschistaceae. It has eight saxicolous (rock-dwelling) species. ''Zeroviella'' was segregated from '' Rusavskia'', a closely related genus, in 2015 ...

'' group, others place it within ''

Rusavskia ''Rusavskia'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has 12 species. It is a member of the subfamily Xanthorioideae. The thallus of ''Rusavskia'' is characterized by its foliose lichen, foliose (leaf-like) structu ...

''.

Description

This lichen has a foliose thallus, often resembling a rosette and spanning across. Its range from in length and in width, broadening towards the tips. They appear semi-tubular due to the edges distinctly curving downwards. The upper surface is uneven, with older lobes especially presenting numerous

pseudocyphella Pseudocyphellae (singular ''pseudocyphella'') are structures in lichens that appear as tiny pores on the outer surface (the cortex of the lichen. They are caused when there is a break in the cortex of the lichen, and the medullary hyphae extend t ...

e (small pores that facilitate gas exchange). The colouration is generally a dull brownish-orange, occasionally appearing with . Apothecia, the reproductive structures, are mostly found in the central portion of the thallus. These are in type and have a diameter of up to 1.5 mm. The are mainly

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 ...

in shape, with dimensions varying between 9.5–14

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 ...

in length and 6.5–9.5 μm in width. When subjected to a potassium hydroxide (K) chemical spot test, the thallus reacts by turning purple. Chemical constituents identified include parietin,

teloschistin Fallacinol (teloschistin) is an organic compound in the structural class of chemicals known as anthraquinones. It is found in some lichens, particularly in the family Teloschistaceae, as well as a couple of plants and non lichen-forming fungi. In ...

fallacinal Fallacinal is an organic compound in the structural class of chemicals known as anthraquinones. It is found in many species of the lichen family Teloschistaceae. History In 1936, Japanese chemists Mitizo Asano and Sinobu Fuziwara reported on the ...

parietinic acid Parietinic acid is an organic compound in the structural class of chemicals known as anthraquinones. It is found in many species of the lichen family Teloschistaceae. The substance was first reported in the literature by the German chemist Walter ...

, and traces of emodin.

Similar species

''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' shows similarities to several other lichen species but can be differentiated based on a few distinguishing features. When compared with '' Z. mandschurica'', ''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' has shorter lobes that also have a larger width range. This species has an apothecial disc, which contrasts with the white pruina found in ''Z. mandschurica''. Additionally, ''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' has a paraplectenchymatous that is well developed, while ''Z. mandschurica'' has a structure, which is much wider at its base. The ascospore

septum In biology, a septum (Latin for ''something that encloses''; plural septa) is a wall, dividing a cavity or structure into smaller ones. A cavity or structure divided in this way may be referred to as septate. Examples Human anatomy * Interatri ...

of ''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' is also narrower than that of ''Z. mandschurica''. In comparison to ''

Rusavskia elegans ''Rusavskia elegans'' (formerly ''Xanthoria elegans''), commonly known as the elegant sunburst lichen, is a lichenized species of fungus in the genus ''Rusavskia'', family Teloschistaceae. Recognized by its bright orange or red pigmentation, this ...

'', ''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' again has shorter and wider thalline lobes. Its cortical layers are entirely paraplectenchymatous, unlike ''R. elegans'' where they are predominantly scleroplectenchymatous. This species also differs in its thinner true exciple, which is significantly less developed than in ''R. elegans''. Furthermore, the ascospores of ''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' are somewhat shorter and the ascospore septum is narrower. Finally, relative to '' Caloplaca vorukhica'', ''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' is marked by a smaller thallus and thalline lobes. It is distinctive due to the presence of numerous pseudocyphellae and a less developed true exciple. The ascospores of ''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' are smaller and the septum is also narrower. This species does not have the hollow medulla found in ''C. vorukhica'', and it also lacks scleroplectenchymatous tissue in both the upper and lower cortical layers, as well as in the centre of the thallus.

Habitat and distribution

''Zeroviella esfahanensis'' predominantly inhabits

and

cold desert The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

areas. It favours large siliceous boulders, colonising both their sun-exposed subvertical and horizontal faces. The lichen has been identified in various locations across the Palearctic realm, encompassing regions in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It was recorded as new to China in 2016, and to India in 2017.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q61988116 Teloschistales Lichen species Lichens described in 2015 Taxa named by Sergey Kondratyuk Lichens of China Lichens of India Lichens of Western Asia Lichens of Europe Lichens of North Africa Taxa named by Jae-Seoun Hur