''Aptrootidea'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

in the family

Gomphillaceae The Gomphillaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Graphidales. Species in this family are found mostly in tropical regions. The family underwent a major molecular phylogenetics-led reorganisation in 2023, in which 17 genera were ...

. It has six species of leaf-dwelling ( foliicolous) lichens.

Taxonomy

The genus was established in 2023 by Amanda Xavier-Leite, Marcela Cáceres, and Robert Lücking, and is named in honour of

André Aptroot André Aptroot ( Heemskerk, 1961) is a Dutch mycologist and lichenologist. His primary research focus is on biodiversity, particularly tropical lichens, encompassing systematics, floristic surveys, and taxonomic reviews. A prolific research ...

, a prominent researcher in tropical lichen studies. The genus was created after

molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions that satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, ...

analyses showed that these species were distinct from the genus ''

Echinoplaca ''Echinoplaca'' is a genus of lichens in the family Gomphillaceae. Species , Species Fungorum (in the Catalogue of Life) accepts 18 species of ''Echinoplaca''. * ''Echinoplaca areolata'' * ''Echinoplaca atromuralis'' * ''Echinoplaca basalis' ...

'' where they were previously classified. While molecular analysis has only been performed on the

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, 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 spe ...

, the other five species are provisionally included based on shared characteristics, though they might eventually be moved to a separate genus with further research.

Description

''Aptrootidea'' lichens are characterised by their growth pattern, which can be either continuous or scattered across the leaf surface. A distinctive feature of some species is the presence of small, dark bristles that grow from a transparent base layer (the ). Their reproductive structures (

apothecia An ascocarp, or ascoma (: ascomata), is the fruiting body ( sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded asci, each of which typically contains four to eight ascospores. As ...

) are flat or slightly raised, appearing as dark spots ranging from chocolate-brown to nearly black in colour. When viewed under a microscope, these lichens reveal a complex internal structure. Their body is made up of loosely interwoven fungal threads (forming a hyphal ), above which sits a pale, densely packed layer of cells ( ) that supports the spore-producing region. The uppermost layer () appears dark brown in colour. Within the reproductive structures, the fungi produce spores () that can have different numbers of internal divisions (

septa SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people througho ...

) depending on the species. Unlike some related lichens, no specialised stalked structures () have been observed in this genus.

Species

* ''

Aptrootidea amapensis ''Aptrootidea'' is a genus of fungi in the family Gomphillaceae. It has six species of leaf-dwelling ( foliicolous) lichens. Taxonomy The genus was established in 2023 by Amanda Xavier-Leite, Marcela Cáceres, and Robert Lücking, and is named ...

'' * ''

Aptrootidea atrofusca ''Aptrootidea'' is a genus of fungi in the family Gomphillaceae. It has six species of leaf-dwelling ( foliicolous) lichens. Taxonomy The genus was established in 2023 by Amanda Xavier-Leite, Marcela Cáceres, and Robert Lücking, and is name ...

'' * ''

Aptrootidea atromuralis ''Aptrootidea'' is a genus of fungi in the family Gomphillaceae. It has six species of leaf-dwelling ( foliicolous) lichens. Taxonomy The genus was established in 2023 by Amanda Xavier-Leite, Marcela Cáceres, and Robert Lücking, and is name ...

'' * ''

Aptrootidea marginata ''Aptrootidea'' is a genus of fungi in the family Gomphillaceae The Gomphillaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Graphidales. Species in this family are found mostly in tropical regions. The family underwent a major molecul ...

'' * '' Aptrootidea triseptata'' * '' Aptrootidea wilsoniorum''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q131459745 Gomphillaceae Graphidales genera Lichen genera Taxa described in 2023 Taxa named by Robert Lücking Taxa named by Marcela Cáceres