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Varicellaria

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Varicellaria
Varicellaria rhodocarpa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Pertusariales
Family: Varicellariaceae
B.P.Hodk., R.C.Harris & Lendemer ex Lumbsch & Leavitt (2018)
Genus: Varicellaria
Nyl. (1858)
Type species
Varicellaria microsticta
Nyl. (1858)
Synonyms[1]

Varicellaria is a genus of crustose lichens. It is the only genus in the family Varicellariaceae.[2]

Taxonomy

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The genus Varicellaria was circumscribed by Finnish lichenologist William Nylander in 1858, with Varicellaria microsticta assigned as the type species.[3][4]

The family Varicellariaceae, containing only the type genus Varicellaria, was informally proposed by Brendan Hodkinson, Richard Harris, and James Lendemer in 2011.[5] H. Thorsten Lumbsch and Steven Leavitt formally published the family in 2018.[6] However, the taxon was not validly published because "an identifier issued by a recognized repository was not cited in the protologue", contrary to rules of botanical nomenclature.[7] This nomenclatural oversight was rectified later the same year in a separate publication.[8]

Description

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Characteristics of the family Varicellariaceae are similar to those of its genus. These are: a crustose thallus, unicellular green algal photobionts from genus Trebouxia, ascomata in the form of disc-like apothecia, non-amyloid gel in the hymenium, strongly amyloid, one- or two-spored asci, and hyaline, thick-walled, one-layered, one- or two-celled ascospores.[6]

Varicellaria species are characterised by a pale bluish-grey or whitish grey thallus, which can be smooth and thin or cracked and thick. They typically have convex soralia that are paler or the same colour as the thallus. Apothecia (fruiting bodies) are rare in these species.[9]

Varicellaria species are associated with green algae from the genus Trebouxia. Specifically, they have been found to associate with Trebouxia sp. OTU A03.[9]

The major secondary metabolite in Varicellaria species is lecanoric acid. Some specimens may also contain variolaric acid, but its presence is not a reliable diagnostic feature for species identification.[9]

Habitat and distribution

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Collectively, the species in genus Varicellaria have a cosmopolitan distribution.[4] Varicellaria species show diverse substrate preferences. Some species, like V. hemisphaerica, are primarily corticolous (growing on bark), while others, such as V. lactea, are saxicolous (growing on rocks). These habitat preferences play a crucial role in species delimitation.[9]

Species

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Recent molecular phylogenetics studies have helped clarify species boundaries within Varicellaria. These studies have shown that substrate preference and soredia size are important factors in distinguishing between species. Molecular data, combined with morphological and chemical characteristics, have proven essential for accurate species identification.[9]

As of 2024, there are 12 recognised species in the genus Varicellaria:[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Synonymy: Varicellaria Nyl., Mém. Soc. Imp. Sci. Nat. Cherbourg 5: 119 (1858)". Species Fungorum. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  2. ^ 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. hdl:10481/76378. S2CID 249054641.
  3. ^ a b Nylander, W. (1857). "Enumération générale de lichens, avec l'indication sommaire de leur distribution géographique". Mémoires de la Société Impériale des Sciences Naturelles de Cherbourg (in French). 5: 117, 119.
  4. ^ a b "Varicellaria Nyl". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  5. ^ Hodkinson, B.P.; Lendemer, J. (2011). "The orders of Ostropomycetidae (Lecanoromycetes, Ascomycota): Recognition of Sarrameanales and Trapeliales with a request to retain Pertusariales over Agyriales". Phytologia. 93 (3): 407–412.
  6. ^ a b Kraichak, Ekaphan; Huang, Jen-Pan; Nelsen, Matthew; Leavitt, Steven D.; Lumbsch, H. Thorsten (2018). "A revised classification of orders and families in the two major subclasses of Lecanoromycetes (Ascomycota) based on a temporal approach". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 188 (3): 233–249. doi:10.1093/botlinnean/boy060.
  7. ^ "Record Details: Varicellariaceae B.P. Hodk., R.C. Harris & Lendemer ex Lumbsch & Leavitt, in Kraichak, Huang, Nelsen, Leavitt & Lumbsch, Bot. J. Linn. Soc.: 10.1093/botlinnean/boy060, 15 (2018)". Index Fungorum. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  8. ^ Kraichak, Ekaphan; Huang, Jen-Pan; Nelsen, Matthew; Leavitt, Steven D.; Lumbsch, H. Thorsten (2018). "Nomenclatural novelties". Index Fungorum (375): 1. ISSN 2049-2375.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Kosecka, Magdalena; Oset, Magdalena (2024). "A shift in substrate requirement might cause speciation of the lichenized fungi, Varicellaria hemisphaerica and V. lactea (Pertusariales, Ascomycota)". Scientific Reports. 14 (1): 23514. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-74937-w.
  10. ^ Zhou, J.; Ren, Q. (2018). "Varicellaria emeiensis sp. nov. and a review of the genus in China". Mycotaxon. 133 (1): 71–78. doi:10.5248/133.71.
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