Fuscidea V. Wirth & Vezda (1972)

Data Set Maintenance: Data set standard item. Data set author(s): Rambold G. Data set not revised; to be published after submission.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted or basionymous. Taxonomic rank: genus. Number of known taxa within this rank: 20. Fuscidea. Fuscideaceae Hafellner (1984); Teloschistineae; Lecanorales.

Type Information: Type: Fuscidea austera (Nyl.) P. James.

Taxonomic Literature: Aptroot A., Diederich P., Sérusiaux E. & Sipman H.J.M.,
Biblioth. Lichenol. 64: 1-220 [65-66] (1997); Clauzade G. & Roux
C., Bull. Soc. Bot. Centre-Ouest N.S. - Numero Special 7: 1-893 [368-
370] (1985); Galloway D.J., Flora of New Zealand Lichens: i-lxxiii, 1-
662 [170-171], Wellington (1985); Hertel H., Khumbu Himal 6: 145-378
(1977); Inoue M., Hikobia Suppl. 1: 161-176; 177-181 (1981);
Magnusson A.H., Goeteb. Kungl. Vetensk. och Vitterh. Samh. Handl.
Fjaerde Foelden 29: 1-50 (1925); Oberhollenzer H. & Wirth V.,
Beih. Nova Hedwigia 79: 537-595 (1984); Poelt J. & Vezda A.,
Biblioth. Lichenol. 16: 1-390 [150-159] (1981); Purvis O.W.,
Skjoldahl L.H. & Tønsberg T. in: Purvis O.W. et al. (eds),
The Lichen Flora of Great Britain and Ireland, London (1992), Wirth
V. & Vezda A., Beitr. Naturk. Forsch. Suedwest-Deutschland 31: 91-
92 (1972).

Biogeography: Checklist records: Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, New Guinea, New Zealand, Sonoran Desert, Sweden and Norway, United States and Canada (continental), and Republic of South Africa.

Ecology: Biotroph; lichenized; corticolous; substrate non-calciferous.

Lichen Photobionts: Primary photobiont present; chlorococcal. Secondary photobiont absent.

Thallus: Crustose, rimose or areolate (primarily areolate). Upper Surface: Grey, green, brown, olive, or brownish yellow; special structures absent or present:; not pseudocyphellate; eciliate; without hairs; not isidate; not sorediate or sorediate; not cephalodiate; not lobulate; without granules granules, without thalloconidia thalloconidia. Lower Surface: Attached by the whole lower surface; special structures absent.

Reproduction Strategy: Only known as sterile, asexually reproducing form or with sexual (and possible asexual) stages. Ascocarps: Apothecioid, orbicular, forming all across the thallus surface, not emerging, becoming adnate to substipitate. Margin: Indistinct to prominent; external filaments absent. Exciple: Black or brown. Epithecium: Apical cells brown. Interascal Hyphae: Present, scarcely branched, not or scarcely anastomosed. Hypothecium: White or brownish yellow.

Asci: Tholus thickened, amyloid, entirely amyloid throughout; dehiscence lecanoralean.

Ascospores: c. 8 per ascus, globose, broadly ellipsoid, ellipsoid, or curved, 5-12-(14) µm long, 3-9 µm wide, obtuse; septa absent or present; transversally septate, 1-transversally septate, formed by the proper spore wall; wall thin, not thickened at the septum, laterally constricted where the septum meets the spore wall, dark brown, hyaline, or pale brown, in Lugol's Solution negative, wall not ornamented.

Conidiomata: Absent resp. not observed or present; pycnidial; immersed, formed all accross the thallus surface.

Conidia: Globose or bacilliform.

Secondary Metabolites: Present, of the following substance class(es): orcinol depsides, ß-orcinol depsidones, (higher) aliphatic acids, and benzyl esters.

(report generated 04.Okt.2007)