Biology:Wahlenbergiella tavaresiae
| Wahlenbergiella tavaresiae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Eurotiomycetes |
| Order: | Verrucariales |
| Family: | Verrucariaceae |
| Genus: | Wahlenbergiella |
| Species: | W. tavaresiae
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| Binomial name | |
| Wahlenbergiella tavaresiae (R.L.Moe) Gueidan, Thüs & Pérez-Ort. (2011)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Wahlenbergiella tavaresiae is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. Known from several locations in the San Francisco Bay area of the United States, it is a marine lichen that inhabits intertidal zones, and as such is immersed in seawater on a regular basis. Associated algal species include the red algae Hildenbrandia and Mastocarpus papillatus, and the brown algae Pelvetiopsis and Fucus. Petroderma maculiforme, a brown alga, is the photobiont partner in the lichen.[2]
Taxonomy
The lichen was first formally described as a new species in 1997 by Richard Moe from specimens collected from Franciscan sandstone at the upper intertidal zone of Fort Mason, San Francisco , California , in 1975. The species epithet honors mycologist and lichenologist Isabelle Tavares of the Herbarium of the University of California at Berkeley, who introduced the author to the study of lichens.[2] In 2011, Cécile Gueidan, Holger Thüs, and Sergio Pérez-Ortega transferred the taxon to the genus Wahlenbergiella, following a molecular phylogenetics-led revision of several genera of the family Verricariaceae.[3]
Description
The lichen, when wet, is dark brownish to greenish black; after exposure to dry air, it becomes initially matte black before lightening. The crust-like thallus measures 0.25–1 mm thick, and adheres tightly to the rock substrate. The photobiont cells are more or less restricted to a distinct layer in the medulla. The frequency of perithecia ranges from sparse to crowded; they are flask-shaped and completely immersed in the thallus, measuring 300–500 µm in diameter. The asci are club-shaped (clavate) and 40 µm long, containing eight spores. Initially spherical, the ascospores become ellipsoid, with dimensions of 12–15 µm by 5–7 µm.[2]
References
- ↑ "Record Details: Verrucaria tavaresiae R.L. Moe, Bull. Calif. Lichen Soc. 4(1): 8 (1997)". Index Fungorum. http://www.indexfungorum.org/names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=436899.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Moe, R.L. (1997). "Verrucaria tavaresiae sp. nov., a marine lichen with a brown algal photobiont". Bulletin of the California Lichen Society 4: 7–11. http://californialichens.org/bulletin/cals4_1.html#5.
- ↑ Gueidan, Cécile; Thüs, Holger; Pérez-Ortega, Sergio (2011). "Phylogenetic position of the brown algae-associated lichenized fungus Verrucaria tavaresiae (Verrucariaceae)". The Bryologist 114 (3): 563–569. doi:10.1639/0007-2745-114.3.563.
Wikidata ☰ Q21301265 entry
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