''Fulvophyton macrosporum'' is a species of

corticolous This glossary of mycology is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to mycology, the study of fungi. Terms in common with other fields, if repeated here, generally focus on their mycology-specific meaning. Related terms can be found ...

(bark-dwelling),

crustose lichen Crustose lichens are lichens that form a crust which strongly adheres to the Substrate (biology), substrate (soil, rock, tree bark, etc.), making separation from the substrate impossible without destruction. The basic structure of crustose lichen ...

in the family Roccellographaceae. Found in the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...

, it was

formally described A species description is a formal scientific description of a newly encountered species, typically articulated through a scientific publication. Its purpose is to provide a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differ ...

as a new species in 2017 by lichenologists Damien Ertz and Paul Diederich. Its differentiation from the morphologically similar '' Sclerophyton madagascariense'' primarily hinges on its 10–14 (and at times, up to 16)

septate In biology, a septum (Latin for ''something that encloses''; septa) is a wall, dividing a cavity or structure into smaller ones. A cavity or structure divided in this way may be referred to as septate. Examples Human anatomy * Interatrial se ...

(partitioned) ascospores and the existence of

psoromic acid Psoromic acid is a β-orcinol depsidone with the molecular formula C18H14O8. Psoromic acid inhibits herpes simplex viruses type 1 and type 2. Furthermore, it inhibits the RabGGTase. Psoromic acid occurs in antarctic lichens A lichen ( , ) ...

, while ''S. madagascariense'' typically contains 8–10-septate ascospores and features

stictic acid Stictic acid is an aromatic organic compound, a product of secondary metabolism in some species of lichens. Stictic acid is the subject of preliminary biomedical research. Stictic acid has cytotoxic and apoptotic effects ''in vitro ''In v ...

. ''Fulvophyton macrosporum'' was first identified in Seychelles, in the Praslin National Park, situated southeast of

Vallée de Mai Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve ("May Valley") is a nature park and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin, Seychelles. It consists of a well-preserved Arecaceae, palm forest, flagship species made up of the endemism, island endemic co ...

. The species was discovered growing on trees between altitudes of . Its

species epithet Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany) ...

''macrosporum'' alludes to the relatively large that characterise the species. 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 ...

of ''Fulvophyton macrosporum'' can measure up to approximately in diameter and has a continuous, smooth, yellowish-white surface. In terms of thickness, the thallus can vary from very thin to around 280

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 ...

, becoming noticeably thicker near the

ascomata An ascocarp, or ascoma (: ascomata), is the fruiting body (sporocarp (fungi), sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded ascus, asci, each of which typically contains four to ...

. The partner in this symbiotic relationship is '' Trentpohlia'', a genus of

green algae The green algae (: green alga) are a group of chlorophyll-containing autotrophic eukaryotes consisting of the phylum Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister group that contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/ Streptophyta. The land plants ...

. Ascomata, the fruiting bodies where sexual spores are formed, are generally lined or grouped from 10 to 100, with dimensions of 40–135 μm at the surface. The hymenial , the fertile surface bearing the reproductive organs, is characterised by a dark brown to black colouration.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q107677963 Arthoniomycetes Lichen species Lichens described in 2017 Lichens of Seychelles Taxa named by Paul Diederich Taxa named by Damien Ertz