Flavoparmelia Marchantii

''Flavoparmelia'' is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. Because of their appearance, they are commonly known as greenshield lichens. The widely distributed genus contains about 40 species.

Taxonomy

The genus was circumscribed by the American lichenologist Mason Hale in 1986 to contain 17 former ''Pseudoparmelia'' species with broad , usnic acid in the cortex, and isolichenan in the cell walls.

Description

''Flavoparmelia'' lichens are medium-sized foliose lichens that are yellow-green in colour, with a thallus comprising rounded lobed that measure 2–8 mm wide, which form flat and loosely attached patches that are wide. Older parts of the upper thallus surface are wrinkled, while the newer parts are smooth. There is a black lower surface with simple, unbranched rhizines, and a distinct bare zone around the margin. The photobiont partner is green algae from genus ''Trebouxia''. ''Flavoparmelia'' has larger spores than other segregate genera of ''Pseudoparmelia''.

Biogeography

The distributional ranges of ''Flavoparmelia'' species have been shaped by both long-distance dispersal and vicariance. A 2013 study identified more geographical structure within ''Flavoparmelia'' than previously recognized, with some species having wider distributions than others. The authors suggest that phenotypical species delimitation often underestimates true diversity. ''Flavoparmelia'' originated in southern South America, and its major radiation began in the late Oligocene. The splits in the genus occurred at different times, shaping the diversity of the main lineages within the genus. The South American ancestor of ''Flavoparmelia'' originated before the separation of southern South America and Australia from Antarctica, suggesting that vicariance could have played a role in shaping this distribution. Recent diversification in Australia resulted from recent diversification at the Miocene-Pliocene of South Africa during the late Miocene. Long-distance dispersal can account for the current distribution of some species, while evidence for vicariance has also been shown in Parmeliaceae.

Species

In ''The 2024 Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa'', there are estimated to be 39 ''Flavoparmelia'' species.

*''Flavoparmelia baltimorensis'' – North America
*''Flavoparmelia caperata'' – widespread
*''Flavoparmelia caperatula''
*''Flavoparmelia citrinescens'' – South America
*''Flavoparmelia diffractaica''
*''Flavoparmelia ecuadorensis'' – Ecuador
*''Flavoparmelia euplecta'' – Australia
*'' Flavoparmelia ferax''
*''Flavoparmelia haysomii'' – Australia
*'' Flavoparmelia haywardiana'' – Australia
*'' Flavoparmelia helmsii''
*''Flavoparmelia kantvilasii'' – New South Wales
*'' Flavoparmelia marchantii'' – Australia
*''Flavoparmelia norfolkensis'' – Norfolk Island
*'' Flavoparmelia plicata'' – Brazil
*''Flavoparmelia proeuplecta''
*'' Flavoparmelia rutidota'' – Australia; North America
*''Flavoparmelia scabrosina''
*''Flavoparmelia secalonica''
*'' Flavoparmelia soredians'' – widespread
*''Flavoparmelia springtonensis''
*''Flavoparmelia subambigua'' – South America
*'' Flavoparmelia subcapitata'' – North America
*'' Flavoparmelia succinprotocetrarica''
*''Flavoparmelia virensica''

Ecology

A new genus and species of lichenicolous fungus, '' Knudsenia flavoparmeliarum'', was found growing on the thalli of ''Flavoparmelia caperata'' and ''F. flaventior'' in subalpine and alpine regions of Central Himalaya.

Biomonitoring

Some studies have investigated the potential of using ''Flavoplaca caperata'' as a biomonitor of air pollution.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5458181

Parmeliaceae
Lecanorales genera
Lichen genera
Taxa named by Mason Hale
Taxa described in 1986