Botanische Staatssammlung München © 1995–2008
Data remain intellectual property of the data set authors.

The description has been generated directly from a database. In cases of errors and insufficiencies consult the corresponding LIAS data entry and revision forms to make the necessary modifications. Changes will appear in the subsequent update of data entry forms and natural language descriptions. [To verify the actual status of the pages, select the reload frame function in the context menu!]
These pages are XHTML compatible designed. May be that problems arise with older web browser versions.

Data Set Maintenance: Data set standard item. Data set author(s): Rambold G. Data set reviewer(s): Wedin M. (95-11-27); revised; to be published after submission.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted or basionymous. Taxonomic rank: genus. Number of known taxa within this rank: 3. Sphaerophorus. Synonyms: Thysanophoron Stirt.; Sphaerophoraceae Fr. (1831); family of unknown placement (incertae sedis); Lecanorales.

Type Information: Type: Sphaerophorus coralloides Pers., nom. illeg. (= S. globosus (Huds.)
Vain.).

Taxonomic Literature: Ohlsson K., A revision of the lichen genus Sphaerophorus. Thesis.
Michigan State University; Clauzade G. & Roux C., Bull. Soc. Bot.
Centre-Ouest N.S. - Numero Special 7: 1-893 [710] (1985); Galloway
D.J., Flora of New Zealand Lichens: i-lxxiii, 1-662 [578-579],
Wellington (1985) - sub Thysanophoron; Purvis O.W. in: Purvis O.W. et
al. (eds), The Lichen Flora of Great Britain and Ireland, London
(1992); Tibell L., Beih. Nova Hedwigia 79: 597-713 (1984); Wedin M.,
Pl. Syst. Evol. 187: 213-241 (1993); Wedin M., Symb. Bot. Upsal.
31(1): 1-102 [91-96] (1995).

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

Ecology: Biotroph; lichenized; terricolous, lignicolous, or corticolous; substrate non-calciferous.

Lichen Photobionts: Primary photobiont present. Secondary photobiont absent or present.

Thallus: Crustose or fruticose, not subdivided parts, subfruticose or rimose. Thallus Outline: Soon disappearing. Upper Surface: Grey, green, brown, white, or brownish yellow; special structures absent or present:; not pseudocyphellate; eciliate; without hairs; not isidate or isidiate; not sorediate; not cephalodiate or cephalodiate; not lobulate or lobulate; without granules granules, without thalloconidia thalloconidia. Lower Surface: Attached by holdfasts; special structures absent or present:; not pseudocyphellate; not cyphellate; not rhizinate; without thalloconidia thalloconidia; not cavernulate; not tomentose or tomentose.

Medulla: Iodine reaction in Lugol's solution negative or in Lugol's solution positive; not different with or without KOH pre-treatment (euamyloid).

Reproduction Strategy: Only known as sterile, asexually reproducing form or with sexual (and possible asexual) stages. Ascocarps: Apothecioid, orbicular, forming directly at the tip of the thallus parts, soon sessile to stipitate. Margin: Indistinct to prominent. Exciple: Black. Periphyses: Absent. Hymenium: Mazaedioid. Interascal Hyphae: Present. Hypothecium: Black or brown.

Ascospores: c. 8 per ascus, broadly ellipsoid, 8-12 µm long, 7-11 µm wide, obtuse; septa absent; wall not thickened at the septum, dark brown, in Lugol's Solution negative, wall ornamented.

Conidiomata: Absent resp. not observed or present; pycnidial; immersed, formed along the thallus periphery.

Secondary Metabolites: Present, of the following substance class(es): orcinol depsides, ß-orcinol depsides, and (anthra-)quinones.

In case that additional characters and states are required to be included in this data set, consult the LIAS Instructions to Participants and follow the procedures described there.

LIAS Home