Biology:Stromatella bermudana
| Stromatella bermudana | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lichinomycetes |
| Order: | Lichinales |
| Family: | Lichinaceae |
| Genus: | Stromatella Henssen (1989) |
| Species: | S. bermudana
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| Binomial name | |
| Stromatella bermudana (Riddle) Henssen (1989)
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Stromatella bermudana is a saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen. It is the only species in Stromatella, a monotypic fungal genus in the family Porocyphaceae.
Taxonomy
The genus was circumscribed in 1989 by German lichenologist Aino Henssen.[1] This species was originally described as Psorotichia bermudana by US botanist Lincoln Ware Riddle in 1916, from specimens collected in Bermuda.[2] The genus name alludes to the stromatic structure found in the early developmental stages of its reproductive bodies, whereas the species epithet refers to the type locality, which is the only place the lichen has been found.[1]
A multilocus re-classification of the Lichinomycetes published in 2024 concluded that Stromatella is better placed in Porocyphaceae, rather than in the Lichinaceae, in which it was previously classified.[3]
Description
Stromatella has a crustose thallus, meaning it forms a thin, crust-like growth that spreads across the surface it inhabits. The thallus is indeterminate, meaning it can grow without a defined shape, and is made up of small, scale-like patches ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]-[[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]). The fungal filaments (hyphae) within the thallus form a complex network. The photosynthetic partner, or cyanobiont, in this lichen is a single-celled cyanobacterium.[1]
The reproductive structures of Stromatella are [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] apothecia, which are [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]-shaped with a margin that resembles the surrounding thallus. Early in development, these reproductive bodies ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]) are [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], meaning they form from a mass of tissue, and contain many coiled, spore-producing structures ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]) at their centre, along with clusters of algal cells near the surface.[1]
The sacs that produce spores (asci) are [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], meaning they have simple walls with a gelatinous layer. Each ascus contains eight spores. The spores are colourless and have a simple structure, lacking internal divisions (septa).[1]
The paraphyses—sterile filaments that support spore development—are branched and interconnected (anastomosing). Some of these filaments have bead-like ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]) tips that originate from the outer layer of the reproductive structure.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Henssen, A. (1989). "Metamelanea and Stromatella, new genera of Lichinaceae". The Lichenologist 21 (2): 101–118. doi:10.1017/s002428298900023x.
- ↑ Riddle, L.W. (1916). "The lichens of Bermuda". Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 43: 145–160 [154]. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12618939.
- ↑ Prieto, M.; Wedin, M.; Schultz, M. (2024). "Phylogeny, evolution and a re-classification of the Lichinomycetes". Studies in Mycology 109: 595–655. doi:10.3114/sim.2024.109.09. PMID 39717657.
Wikidata ☰ {{{from}}} entry
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