Biology:Lithoglypha
Lithoglypha is a fungal genus in the family Acarosporaceae.[1] It is monotypic,[2] containing the single species Lithoglypha aggregata, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen found in South Africa.
Taxonomy
Both the genus and species were proposed in 1988 by the lichenologist Franklin Andrej Brusse in 1988. The genus name is derived from the Greek roots lithos ("rock") and glyphe (referring to writing or engraving on a stone tablet). The lichen is only known to occur in the Clarens Formation of South Africa.[3]
Description
The genus Lithoglypha is characterised by a thallus that is [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], meaning it grows within the interior of rocks, presenting a crustose (crust-like) appearance. The algae associated with Lithoglypha belong to the order Chlorococcales.[3]
The apothecia (fruiting bodies) of Lithoglypha initially develop in a cleistotheciform (closed) manner, later transforming into a [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|pseudolecideine]] form, which indicates a transition in their developmental stages. The [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], or the outer layer of the apothecium, has a dark reddish-brown colouration and is [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] (composed of tightly interwoven cells) at the base, becoming [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] (with loosely interwoven cells) towards the top. The [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], the uppermost layer above the hymenium, also dark reddish-brown, is paraplectenchymatous and tends to become [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], leaving remnants only along the edges of the hymenium, which is the fertile, spore-producing layer. The [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], the tissue below the hymenium, is interspersed, adding to the structural complexity of the apothecia.[3]
The hymenium itself is hyaline (translucent) and varies in height from 50 to 100 μm, displaying a reaction that turns from blue to wine-red upon the addition of iodine, a diagnostic feature in identifying lichen species. Paraphyses within the hymenium are septate (segmented), cylindrical, and can be either simple or branched, contributing to the overall structure and function of the reproductive apparatus. Asci, the spore-bearing cells, are [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] (club-shaped) with a [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] (the thicker, central part) that may not react (J-) or turn pale blue with iodine, while the external gel reacts positively (J+), turning blue or wine-red.[3]
Lithoglypha produces a large number of [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], typically more than 100, which are hyaline, ellipsoid, [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], and small, measuring 2–8 by 1–3 μm. Pycnidia, asexual reproductive structures, are either spherical or pear-shaped, with a diameter of about 150 μm. The spore-bearing filaments within, known as pycnidiosporophores, are hyaline, cylindrical, and can be either simple or branched. The pycnidiospores, produced at the tips of these filaments, are [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] (formed at the apex) and resemble hyaline needles, measuring 4–8 by 0.8 μm.[3]
References
- ↑ "Lithoglypha". Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/62XYS.
- ↑ Wijayawardene, N.N.; Hyde, K.D.; Dai, D.Q.; Sánchez-García, M.; Goto, B.T.; Saxena, R.K. et al. (2022). "Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa – 2021". Mycosphere 13 (1): 53–453. doi:10.5943/mycosphere/13/1/2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358798332.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Brusse, F.A. (1988). "Lithoglypha, a new lichen genus from Clarens sandstone". Bothalia 18 (1): 89–93. doi:10.4102/abc.v18i1.984. https://journals.abcjournal.aosis.co.za/index.php/abc/article/view/984/936.
Wikidata ☰ Q6648018 entry
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