''Baeomyces rufus'', commonly known as the brown beret lichen,
is a fruticose
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 ...
belonging to the cap lichen family,
Baeomycetaceae
The Baeomycetales are an order (biology), order of mostly lichen-forming fungi in the subclass Ostropomycetidae, in the class Lecanoromycetes. It contains 8 family (biology), families, 33 genus, genera and about 170 species. As a result of molecu ...
. The species was first described by J.F Rebentisch in 1804.
Like other lichens, it is a
symbiosis
Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction, between two organisms of different species. The two organisms, termed symbionts, can fo ...
between a
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 ...
and an
alga
Algae ( , ; : alga ) is an informal term for any organisms of a large and diverse group of photosynthetic organisms that are not plants, and includes species from multiple distinct clades. Such organisms range from unicellular microalgae, suc ...
.
Taxonomy
William Hudson described this species as ''Lichen rufus'' in 1762.
The similar-appearing lichen ''D. baeomyces'' was formerly identified as ''Baeomyces roseus''; it was not until 1997 that a study by Soili Stenroos and
Paula DePriest used
DNA sequencing
DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. The ...
to establish that the species now called ''Dibaeis baeomyces'' did not belong to the genus ''Baeomyces''. ''B. rufus'' was the lichen representing genus ''Baeomyces'' whose DNA was sequenced for comparison with ''B. roseus''/''D. baeomyces''.
Description
''B. rufus'' is characterized by bulbous
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 ...
which may vary from reddish brown to orange to pink, and which become translucent when wet; they may reach a maximum diameter of 2 mm, atop stalks no taller than 6 mm. The
thallus
Thallus (: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. A thallus usually names the entir ...
may be green, grey or greenish-grey, and may have a brownish tinge.
[ Unlike other ''Baeomyces'' species, ''B. rufus''s margins are unlobed.][
]
Similar species
''B. rufus'' can be confused with '' Dibaeis baeomyces'', particularly when the former's fruiting bodies are more pink than brown, but the two can be distinguished by morphological differences such as ''D. baeomyces''s larger bulbs or the translucent appearance of ''B. rufus''s apothecia when wet, and by differences in habit, as ''D. baeomyces'' thrives in full sun whereas ''B. rufus'' avoids it.[ With a light microscope, ''B. rufus'' can easily be distinguished by its apothecial stalks, as ''D. baeomyces'' has apothecia directly on the thallus, without a stalk.
]
Distribution and habitat
This is the most common of the beret or cap lichens.[ It is found in circumpolar North America,][ Asia,][ Typical habitats of ''B. rufus'' are temperate pine forests, with moist sites and ]disturbed ground
In ecology, a disturbance is a change in environmental conditions that causes a pronounced change in an ecosystem. Disturbances often act quickly and with great effect, to alter the physical structure or arrangement of biotic and abiotic element ...
being particularly preferred.[ Specimens may grow directly on soil or leaf litter, or on tree bark or stones.][ Shaded locations are preferred to those that receive direct sunlight.][
]
Varieties
Named varieties of ''B. rufus'' include:
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q900721
Baeomycetales
Lichen species
Lichens described in 1762
Taxa named by William Hudson (botanist)
Lichens of Asia
Lichens of North America
Lichens of Europe