Biology:Sparria
Sparria is a small genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Opegraphaceae.[1][2]
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 2011 by the lichenologists Damien Ertz and Anders Tehler, with Sparria cerebriformis assigned as the type species. This European species, originally described in the genus Opegrapha, was later more well known as Arthonia endlicheri. The genus name honours the Dutch lichenologist Laurens Sparrius, "for his contribution to the Arthoniales".[3]
Description
The genus Sparria consists of crustose lichens that grow on rocks. The thallus, or lichen body, is typically thick and can vary in texture from smooth and continuous to cracked ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]) or wart-like ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], and it may sometimes appear as raised, bubble-like structures ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]). The surface of the thallus is covered by a protective layer, known as the [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]. The symbiotic algae within the lichen belong to the green algal genus Trenteophlia.[3] The reproductive structures in Sparria, the ascomata, are [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] (elongated and slit-like) to [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] (tree-like) in shape. These structures are usually embedded within the thallus and often cluster together to form rounded or elongated, [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]-like formations. The hymenial [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], where the spores develop, is narrow and typically coated with a white, powdery substance known as [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]. The [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], which is the outer layer surrounding the hymenium, is dark brown, as is the [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]—the layer beneath the hymenium—which extends down to the [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], anchoring the lichen.[3]
Inside the ascomata, the supporting structures for the spores, called [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], are branched and interconnected (anastomosing. The asci, where the spores are produced, are cylindrical to club-shaped and contain eight spores. The ascospores are oblong-ellipsoid to spindle-shaped ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]), tapering at one end. When young, the spores are colourless (hyaline) but turn brown as they mature. These spores are somewhat [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], meaning they have several transverse and longitudinal divisions, and are encased in a distinct gelatinous sheath.[3]
Sparria also reproduces asexually through pycnidia, which are flask-shaped structures embedded in the thallus. The conidia (asexual spores) produced by the pycnidia are thread-like ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]) and slightly curved.[3]
Chemically, Sparria species contain lecanoric acid, and some species also produce erythrin, another secondary metabolite.[3]
Species
- Sparria caboverdensis Ertz & Tehler (2023)[4] – Cape Verde
- Sparria cerebriformis (Egea & Torrente) Ertz & Tehler (2011)
- Sparria endlicheri (Garov.) Ertz & Tehler (2011)
References
- ↑ "Sparria". Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/7JZ6.
- ↑ 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 [89]. doi:10.5943/mycosphere/13/1/2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358798332.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Ertz, Damien; Tehler, Anders (2010). "The phylogeny of Arthoniales (Pezizomycotina) inferred from nucLSU and RPB2 sequences". Fungal Diversity 49 (1): 47–71. doi:10.1007/s13225-010-0080-y.
- ↑ Ertz, Damien; Tehler, Anders (2023). "New species of Arthoniales from Cape Verde with an enlarged concept of the genus Ingaderia". The Lichenologist 55 (1): 1–15. doi:10.1017/S0024282922000408.
Wikidata ☰ Q21293629 entry
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