''Bezerroplaca'' is a

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 ...

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 ...

-forming

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 family

Gomphillaceae The Gomphillaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Graphidales. Species in this family are found mostly in tropical regions. The family underwent a major molecular phylogenetics-led reorganisation in 2023, in which 17 genera were ...

. It has five species of

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 ...

lichens that grow on living leaves.

Taxonony

The genus ''Bezerroplaca'' was established in 2023 by Amanda Xavier-Leite, Marcela Cáceres, and

Robert Lücking Robert Lücking (born 1964) is a German lichenologist, known for his extensive research on foliicolous lichens (lichens that live on leaves) and his significant contributions to the taxonomy, ecology, and biodiversity of fungi and lichens. He e ...

. It is named in honour of José Luiz Bezerra for his contributions to the study of leaf-dwelling lichens in Brazil. Five species are recognised in the genus. These species were previously classified in the genus ''

Echinoplaca ''Echinoplaca'' is a genus of lichens in the family Gomphillaceae. Species , Species Fungorum (in the Catalogue of Life) accepts 18 species of ''Echinoplaca''. * ''Echinoplaca areolata'' * ''Echinoplaca atromuralis'' * ''Echinoplaca basalis' ...

'', but were separated based on their unique combination of characteristics, particularly their bell-shaped clusters of reproductive filaments and sperm-like end segments.

Description

These tiny lichens form a continuous, slightly warty layer on leaf surfaces, dotted with scattered white bristles. One of their most distinctive features is their specialised reproductive structures (), which are white bristles with darkened tips. These bristles produce unique bell-shaped bunches of thread-like filaments () that have distinctive sperm-shaped end segments. Their main 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 ...

) appear as flat, dark spots on the surface, ranging from brown to black in colour. Under the microscope, these structures show brown colouration in both their lower layers () and upper layers (), and produce spores that are divided into multiple compartments both lengthwise and crosswise ( spores).

Species

* '' Bezerroplaca fusconitida'' * '' Bezerroplaca incrustatociliata'' * '' Bezerroplaca lucernifera'' * '' Bezerroplaca pachyparaphysata'' * '' Bezerroplaca streimannii''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q131459885 Gomphillaceae Graphidales genera Lichen genera Taxa described in 2023 Taxa named by Marcela Cáceres Taxa named by Robert Lücking