Cladia Aggregata

''Cladia'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Cladoniaceae. ''Cladia'' species have a crustose primary thallus and a fruticose, secondary thallus, often referred to as pseudopodetium. The type species of the genus, ''Cladia aggregata'', is widely distributed, occurring from South America, South Africa, Australasia and South-East Asia to southern Japan and India. Most of the other species are found in the Southern Hemisphere.

Taxonomy

''Cladia'' was circumscribed by Finnish lichenologist William Nylander in 1870 with ''Cladia aggregata'' as the type species.
Rex Filson created a separate family, the Cladiaceae, to contain the genus, but this is no longer used and the genus is classified in the family Cladoniaceae. An updated phylogeny of the Cladoniaceae was published in 2018.

Molecular phylogenetic evidence showed that the genera ''Heterodea'' and ''Ramalinora'' were nested within ''Cladina'', so they are now synonyms. Because the name ''Heterodea'' predated ''Cladina'', the generic name ''Cladia'' was proposed for conservation against ''Heterodea'' to avoid several nomenclatural changes that would have been necessary. The proposal was accepted by both the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi and the General Committee.

Description

''Cladia'' consists of fruticose lichens with typically a perforate pseudopodetia with an external cartilaginous layer. The apothecia are black or brown and have a persistent proper margin and a flat disc. The asci are eight-spored with a well-developed amyloid tholus with a darker-staining central tube. The pycnidia are immersed in grossly black to brown projections that are initially blunt and measure up to 0.5 mm long and eventually become needle-like and up to 1 mm long.

Ecology

Eight species of lichenicolous fungi are known to grow on ''Cladia'': ''Echinothecium cladoniae'' Keissl. nom. nud. (on ''C. aggregata'' from Columbia; Etayo 2002), ''Lichenoconium echinosporum'' D. Hawksw. (on ''C. muelleri'' from Australia; Hawksworth 1977), '' Roselliniella heterodeae'' Matzer & Hafellner (on ''C. muelleri'' from Australia; Matzer & Hafellner 1990); ''Pyrenidium actinellum'' Nyl. agg. (on ''C. aggregata'' from Columbia; Etayo 2002); ''Endococcus cladiae'' Zhurb. & Pino-Bodas; ''Lichenopeltella soiliae'' Zhurb. & Pino-Bodas, and ''Lichenosticta hoegnabbae'' Zhurb. & Pino-Bodas.

Chemistry

The type species, ''Cladia aggregata'', is highly variable morphologically and has extensive chemical variation. Kantvilas & Elix (1999) revised the ''C. aggregata'' complex in Tasmania and identified six chemotypes in ''C. aggregata'' sensu stricto. Similarly, five chemotypes were found in specimens from the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina, Brazil. In both studies, most of them contained barbatic acid and 4-O-demethylbarbatic acid. Barbatic acid is cytotoxic, and kills the worms of '' Schistosoma mansoni'' in in vitro studies. This is the causative agent of Schistosomiasis.

Species

Revisions of ''Cladia'' published in 2012 and 2013 included 23 species in the genus. , Species Fungorum accepts 20 species in ''Cladia'':
*''Cladia aggregata''
*''Cladia beaugleholei''
*''Cladia blanchonii''
*''Cladia cryptica''
*''Cladia deformis''
*''Cladia dumicola''
*''Cladia glaucolivida''
*''Cladia globosa''
*''Cladia gorgonea''
*''Cladia inflata''
*''Cladia moniliformis''
*''Cladia muelleri''
*''Cladia mutabilis''
*''Cladia neocaledonica''
*''Cladia occulta'' – Tasmania
*''Cladia oreophila''
*''Cladia schizopora''
*''Cladia tasmanica''
*''Cladia terebrata''
*''Cladia xanthocarpa'' – Australia

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5124923

Lichen genera
Lecanorales genera
Taxa named by William Nylander (botanist)
Taxa described in 1870