Austropeltum
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Austropeltum'' is a fungal
genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
in the
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 ...
Sphaerophoraceae The Sphaerophoraceae are a family (biology), family of lichen-forming fungi in the order (biology), order Lecanorales. Species of this family have a widespread distribution, especially in southern temperate regions, with particular diversity in c ...
. The genus is
monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...
, containing the single species ''Austropeltum glareosum'', a
squamulose lichen A squamulose lichen is a lichen that is composed of small, often overlapping "scales" called . If they are raised from the substrate and appear leafy, the lichen may appear to be a foliose lichen, but the underside does not have a "skin" (cortex), ...
found in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
.


Description

The lichen typically forms (small, scale-like) to slightly leafy structures attached to soil by a central
holdfast Holdfast most often refers to: *Holdfast (biology), a root-like structure that anchors aquatic sessile organisms to their substrate *Holdfast (tool), a tool used to secure a workpiece to a workbench or anvil Holdfast or hold fast may also refer t ...
, often with additional anchoring threads (rhizoidal hyphae). Individual lobes (called ) range from 4 to 12 mm wide, sometimes reaching up to 15 mm, and typically overlap or cluster densely together. They vary from flat to slightly convex or shell-like, often with raised edges. The upper surface is olive-brown to blackish, appearing smooth, glossy or dull, and may become wrinkled or cracked with age. The lower surface lacks a distinct protective layer (lower ), is usually brownish, and sometimes has faint vein-like markings. A distinctive feature of ''Austropeltum glareosum'' is its thick, gelatinous upper cortex, which gradually breaks down with age, becoming cracked and fissured. Microscopically, this cortex consists of a mesh of fungal threads (
hypha A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium. Structure A hypha consists of one o ...
e) embedded in a gelatinous substance, initially colourless but eventually turning brown near the surface, giving older lobes a darker appearance. Sometimes, this aging process can resemble an infection by a
parasitic fungus 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 ...
, but it actually results from the normal aging and pigmentation process of the cortex itself. Occasionally, small structures called appear, which are clusters of algal cells encapsulated by brown fungal threads; these are normal features of the lichen rather than signs of disease. The reproductive structures (
apothecia An ascocarp, or ascoma (: ascomata), is the fruiting body ( sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded asci, each of which typically contains four to eight ascospores. As ...
) of this species are particularly unusual. They are black, circular, and appear on short stalks around the edges of the lobes, growing up to 5 mm in diameter. Initially, these apothecia are simple and spherical, but they become increasingly convoluted and split deeply into multiple segments as they mature, eventually resembling clusters of smaller fruiting bodies. Their stalks () have a distinctive dark pigmented boundary tissue separating them from the spore-producing layers. Microscopically, the spores are transparent (
hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from , and . Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is named after its glassy appearance on fresh gross pathology. On light microscopy of H&E stained slides, the extracellula ...
), spindle-shaped (), and measure approximately 11–16 by 3–4.5 
μm The micrometre (Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a unit of length in the International System ...
. ''Austropeltum glareosum'' also has secondary reproductive structures called
pycnidia A pycnidium (plural pycnidia) is an asexual fruiting body produced by mitosporic fungi, for instance in the order Sphaeropsidales ( Deuteromycota, Coelomycetes) or order Pleosporales (Ascomycota, Dothideomycetes). It is often spherical or inve ...
, which produce slender, thread-like
conidia A conidium ( ; : conidia), sometimes termed an asexual chlamydospore or chlamydoconidium (: chlamydoconidia), is an asexual, non- motile spore of a fungus. The word ''conidium'' comes from the Ancient Greek word for dust, ('). They are also ...
(asexual spores). These structures similarly develop along the margins of the lobes, are initially enclosed by a persistent cortex, and release their spores by breaking apart rather than opening through a specific pore. Chemically, this lichen does not contain detectable unique
secondary metabolite Secondary metabolites, also called ''specialised metabolites'', ''secondary products'', or ''natural products'', are organic compounds produced by any lifeform, e.g. bacteria, archaea, fungi, animals, or plants, which are not directly involved ...
s typically found in many other lichens. In appearance, ''Austropeltum glareosum'' somewhat resembles certain other squamulose lichens such as species of '' Solenopsora'' or even small species of ''
Peltigera ''Peltigera'' is a genus of approximately 100 species of foliose lichens in the family Peltigeraceae. Commonly known as the dog or pelt lichens, species of ''Peltigera'' are often terricolous (growing on soil), but can also occur on moss, trees ...
'', though its distinctive black, stalked apothecia set it apart from these groups.


Conservation status

In November 2018 the New Zealand
Department of Conservation Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
classified ''Austropeltum glareosum'' as "Nationally Vulnerable" with the qualifiers "Data Poor" and "Threatened Overseas" under the
New Zealand Threat Classification System The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand. The system was developed because the IUCN Red List, a similar conservation status system, had s ...
.


References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q4825744, from2=Q21256232 Lecanorales Lichen genera Monotypic Lecanorales genera Taxa named by Gintaras Kantvilas Taxa named by Aino Henssen Taxa described in 1992