Biology:Astrothelium inspersoconicum
| Astrothelium inspersoconicum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Dothideomycetes |
| Order: | Trypetheliales |
| Family: | Trypetheliaceae |
| Genus: | Astrothelium |
| Species: | A. inspersoconicum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Astrothelium inspersoconicum Aptroot & Weerakoon (2018)
| |
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| Holotype: Runakanda – Maguru Ganga area of Sri Lanka[1] | |
Astrothelium inspersoconicum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae.[2] Found in Sri Lanka, it was described as a new species in 2018.
Taxonomy
The species was officially described by the lichenologists André Aptroot and Gothamie Weerakoon in 2018. The type specimen was collected by the second author in the Runakanda – Maguru Ganga area of Sri Lanka, at an elevation of 249 m (817 ft). The epithet inspersoconicum reflects the unique combination of an [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] and its association with the conicum-aggregate group within the genus Astrothelium, which is a rare feature in this group.[1]
Description
Astrothelium inspersoconicum has a [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], smooth, and somewhat shiny thallus covering areas up to 15 cm (6 in) in diameter, with a pale greenish-grey hue and a distinct brown, glossy prothallus line. Its ascomata (fruiting bodies) are [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] and primarily aggregated, with a [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] wall and eccentric, fused, and conical ostioles covered by an orange [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]. The hamathecium of the species is [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] with oil globules, a distinguishing feature. It carries hyaline, [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] (tapered) ascospores that have three septa (internal partitions) with diamond-shaped [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], and measure 23–25 by 7–8 μm.[1]
It is closely related to Astrothelium cinnamomeum but can be distinguished by its inspersed hamathecium. It represents a rare instance within the Astrothelium conicum-group, in which the hamathecium is typically not inspersed.[1]
Habitat and distribution
This species is found in Asia, specifically recorded in Sri Lanka.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Aptroot, André; Weerakoon, Gothamie M. (2018). "Three new species and ten new records of Trypetheliaceae (Ascomycota) from Sri Lanka". Cryptogamie, Mycologie 39 (3): 373–378. doi:10.7872/crym/v39.iss3.2018.373. https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/crypto-myco2018-v39f3a7.pdf.
- ↑ "Astrothelium inspersoconicum Aptroot & Weerakoon". Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/J5F5.
Wikidata ☰ Q107503789 entry
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