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 not revised; to be published after submission.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted or basionymous. Taxonomic rank: genus. Number of known taxa within this rank: 300 (A. Aptroot 99-09-27). Usnea. Parmeliaceae Zenker (1827); Lecanorineae; Lecanorales.

Taxonomic Literature: Taxonomic notes: incl. Neuropogon Nees & Flot. (1835). Clauzade G. & Roux C., Bull. Soc. Bot. Centre-Ouest N.S. - Numero
Special 7: 1-893 [771-780] (1985); Clerc P., Nordic J. Bot. 7: 479-
495 (1987); Galloway D.J., Flora of New Zealand Lichens: i-lxxiii, 1-
662 [316-319 - sub Neuropogon, 596-604], Wellington (1985); Halonen
P., Graphis Scripta 8: 51-56 (1997); James P.W., Clerc P. &
Purvis O.W. in: Purvis O.W. et al. (eds), The Lichen Flora of Great
Britain and Ireland, London (1992); Lamb I.M., Brit. Antarc. Surv.
Sci. Rep. 38: 1-34, tab. I-XVI, pl. I-IX (1964); Clerc P.,
Lichenologist 29: 209-215 (1997); Swinscow T.D.V. & Krog H.,
Lichenologist 11: 207-252 (1979).

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

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

Lichen Photobionts: Primary photobiont present; chlorococcal. Primary photobiont taxonomy: Asterochloris and Trebouxia (A. Beck 22-05-97); Trebouxiaceae; Trebouxiales, Trebouxiophyceae, Eukariota. Secondary photobiont absent.

Thallus: Crustose or fruticose, not subdivided parts, subfruticose, granular, or rimose. Upper Surface: Grey, green, yellow, brown, red, olive, brownish yellow, or orange; special structures absent or present:; not pseudocyphellate; eciliate; without hairs; not isidate or isidiate; not sorediate or sorediate; not cephalodiate; not lobulate; without granules granules, without thalloconidia thalloconidia. Lower Surface: Attached by holdfasts; 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, directly at the tip of the thallus parts, soon sessile. Margin: Distinct to prominent; external filaments absent. Exciple: White. Periphyses: Absent. Epithecium: Apical cells hyaline. Interascal Hyphae: Present, scarcely branched, not or scarcely anastomosed. Hypothecium: White.

Asci: Tholus thickened, amyloid, with non-amyloid wide axial body and divergent amyloid flanks towards apex; dehiscence lecanoralean.

Ascospores: c. 8 per ascus, ellipsoid, 8.5-11 µm long, 5.5-7 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, formed along the thallus periphery.

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

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