Biology:Peltula polyphylla
| Peltula polyphylla | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lichinomycetes |
| Order: | Lichinales |
| Family: | Peltulaceae |
| Genus: | Peltula |
| Species: | P. polyphylla
|
| Binomial name | |
| Peltula polyphylla Q.X.Yang & X.L.Wei (2022)
| |
| <mapframe zoom="3" frameless="1" align="center" longitude="115.55" latitude="39.85" height="200" width="270">{"type":"Feature","geometry":{"coordinates":[115.55,39.85],"type":"Point"},"properties":{"title":"Peltula polyphylla","marker-color":"#5E74F3"}}</mapframe> | |
| Holotype: Bamuyan village, Beijing[1] | |
Peltula polyphylla is a ground-dwelling, squamulose lichen species in the family Peltulaceae,[2] characterised by its distinctive multi-lobed ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]) structure. Found in China, it was described as a new species in 2022.
Taxonomy
The species was introduced to science in 2022 by Qiuxia Yang and Xinli Wei, based on a specimen collected in Beijing, China. The specific epithet polyphylla, derived from the Greek words poly, meaning 'many', and phyllon, meaning 'leaf', reflect the multiple small [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] that characterise the thallus of this species. The holotype was collected in the Bamuyan village, behind Xishanhong Inn in Mentougou District, Beijing.[1]
Description
The thallus of Peltula polyphylla is terricolous, meaning it grows on the ground, and is polyphyllous, consisting of many small [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] each up to 0.9 mm in diameter. These lobes are concave with slightly to deeply lobed, wavy margins that are darker in colour. The upper surface is olive-brown to olive-black and lacks a powdery covering ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]), while the lower surface is smooth and pale yellowish-brown, attaching to the substrate with a robust cluster of root-like structures (umbilici).[1]
The thallus measures 550 micrometres (μm) thick, with individual lobes ranging from 130 to 211 μm. It lacks a developed upper cortex but includes a yellowish protective top layer ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]) that is 5 μm thick. The [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], containing the photosynthetic partner, is quite dense, filling almost the entire middle layer (medulla) of the lichen. The medulla is made up of loosely interwoven fungal hyphae and spherical cells.[1]
Reproductive structures are infrequent, with each lobe typically bearing a single apothecium that is up to 0.55 mm in diameter. These fruiting bodies are flush with the thallus surface and have a colour that blends with the surrounding thallus. The hymenium, or spore-producing layer, turns wine red when treated with iodine, while the supporting structure below it ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]) turns blue with potassium hydroxide treatment. [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] are clear, spherical, and [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] in structure.[1]
Habitat and distribution
Peltula polyphylla is found on sun-exposed rocks that are thinly covered with soil. It coexists with related species such as Peltula euploca and Peltula placodizans but is currently known only from its type locality in China.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Yang, Qiuxia; Cheng, Xiangmin; Zhang, Tinting; Liu, Xinzhan; Wei, Xinli (2022). "Five new species of the lichen-forming fungal genus Peltula from China". Journal of Fungi 8 (2): e134. doi:10.3390/jof8020134. PMID 35205887.
- ↑ "Peltula polyphylla Q.X. Yang & X.L. Wei". Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/B2P4B.
Wikidata ☰ Q130703210 entry
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