Chrysotrichaceae is a
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
of
lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a hybrid colony (biology), colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among hypha, filaments of multiple fungus species, along with yeasts and bacteria embedded in the cortex or "skin", in a mutualism (biology), m ...
ized
fungi
A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...
in the order
Arthoniales
The Arthoniales is the second largest order of mainly crustose lichens, but fruticose lichens are present as well. The order contains around 1500 species, while the largest order with lichenized fungi, the Lecanorales, contains more than 14000 s ...
.
Member of this family have a widespread distribution, but are especially prevalent in
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...
areas.
"Chrysothrichaceae" and "Chrysothricaceae" are alternative spellings that have been used in some older publications; the latter was used by
Alexander Zahlbruckner in the protologue publication. Both of these spellings are considered incorrect, and the current spelling has been formalised following a proposal
for
conservation of Chrysotrichaceae against Pulverariaceae (an earlier
synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...
).
Genera
* ''
Byssocaulon'' – 1 sp.
* ''
Chrysothrix'' – ca. 18 spp.
* ''
Galbinothrix'' – 1 sp.
* ''
Melarthonis'' – 1 sp.
References
Arthoniomycetes
Lichen families
Taxa named by Alexander Zahlbruckner
Taxa described in 1905
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