Metus D. J. Galloway & P. James (1987)

Data Set Maintenance: Data set standard item. Data set author(s): Rambold G. Data set reviewer(s): Döring H. (95-06-02, 00-02-21); revised; to be published after submission.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted or basionymous. Taxonomic rank: genus. Number of known taxa within this rank: 3. Metus. Cladoniaceae Zenker (1827); Cladoniineae; Lecanorales.

Type Information: Type: Metus conglomeratus (F. Wilson) D.J. Galloway & P. James.

Taxonomic Literature: Galloway D.J. & James P.W., Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 44: 561-579 (1987).

Biogeography: Checklist records: Australia and New Zealand.

Ecology: Biotroph; lichenized; terricolous, lignicolous, or corticolous.

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

Thallus: Crustose, leprose or granular. Thallus Outline: Soon disappearing or persistent. Upper Surface: Green, brown, or brownish yellow; special structures absent or present:; not pseudocyphellate; eciliate; without hairs; not isidate; not sorediate; not cephalodiate; not lobulate; without granules or with 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 or irregular, forming all across the thallus surface (apothecia usually with a distinct stipe for which the term "thallus verticalis" or "secondary thallus" is often used) or directly at the thallus margin, soon sessile or stipitate (if the "thallus verticalis" is regarded as an ascomata stipe). Margin: Indistinct; external filaments absent. Exciple: Brown. Periphyses: Absent. Epithecium: Apical cells yellow, brown, or brownish yellow. Interascal Hyphae: Present, scarcely branched, not or scarcely anastomosed. Hypothecium: Brown.

Asci: Tholus thickened, amyloid, with amyloid tube; dehiscence lecanoralean.

Ascospores: c. 8 per ascus, clavate or fusiform, 8-14 µm long, 2.5-4.5 µm wide, obtuse; septa absent; wall thin, not thickened at the septum, hyaline, in Lugol's Solution negative, wall not ornamented.

Conidiomata: Absent resp. not observed or present; pycnidial; immersed or sessile to stipitate, formed all accross the thallus surface or along the thallus periphery.

Conidia: Curved.

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

(report generated 04.Okt.2007)