Punctelia

''Punctelia'' is a genus of foliose lichens belonging to the large family Parmeliaceae. The genus, which contains about 50 species, was segregated from genus '' Parmelia'' in 1982. Characteristics that define ''Punctelia'' include the presence of hook-like to thread-like conidia (asexual spores), simple rhizines (root-like structures that attach the lichen thallus to its substrate), and point-like pseudocyphellae (tiny pores on the thallus surface that facilitate gas exchange). It is this last feature that is alluded to in the vernacular names speckled shield lichens or speckleback lichens.

''Punctelia'' lichens grow on bark, wood, and rocks. The genus has a worldwide distribution, occurring on all continents but Antarctica. Species are found in temperate to subtropical locations. ''Punctelia'' has centres of distribution in the Neotropics and Africa; about half of the known species occur in South America. The photobiont partners of ''Punctelia'' are green algae in the genus ''Trebouxia''. Some pollution-sensitive ''Punctelia'' species have been proposed for use as bioindicators of air pollution.

Systematics

Norwegian lichenologist Hildur Krog circumscribed ''Punctelia'' in 1982. Originally, the genus contained 22 species segregated from '' Parmelia'' based on differences in the development of the pseudocyphellae, secondary chemistry, and phytogeography. The earliest-published member of this group, '' Parmelia borreri'', was assigned as the type species of the genus. This widely distributed lichen was first described by James Edward Smith in 1807, followed by Dawson Turner in 1808.

Before Krog's publication, species with point-like pseudocyphellae, known as the ''Parmelia borreri'' group, fell under ''Parmelia'' subgenus ''Parmelia'', section ''Parmelia'', subsection ''Simplices''. Krog divided ''Punctelia'' into two subgenera: ''Punctelia'' subgenus ''Punctelia'', with hook-shaped () conidia and atranorin as a major cortical substance, and ''Punctelia'' subgenus ''Flavopunctelia'', with bifusiform conidia and usnic acid as a major cortical substance. Mason Hale later identified ''Flavopunctelia'' as a separate genus with four species, based on conidial shape and chemical traits. A 2005 molecular phylogenetic analysis confirmed their genetic independence from ''Parmelia'', and established genus boundaries.

In North America, these lichens are commonly known as "speckled shield lichens" or "speckleback lichens". The genus name, derived from the Latin ("small spot" or "dot") refers to the pseudocyphellae.

Phylogenetics

''Punctelia'' is a member of the large lichen family Parmeliaceae. In 2017, Pradeep Divakar and colleagues applied a "temporal phylogenetic" approach to define taxonomic ranks within Parmeliaceae, inferring that groups of species diverging 29.45–32.55 million years ago signify distinct genera. They suggested synonymizing the lichenicolous genus '' Nesolechia'' with ''Punctelia'' (its lichen-forming sister group), because ''Nesolechia''s relatively recent origin falls within their timeframe threshold for genus classification. This synonymy was not accepted in a review of Parmeliaceae classification soon afterwards. Although the authors (Arne Thell, Ingvar Kärnefelt, and Mark Seaward) recognized ''Nesolechia''s place in Parmeliaceae and its morphological reduction in ''Punctelia'', they suggest that "since the parasitic genera appear as sister groups ... synonymization feels hardly necessary". Robert Lücking, critiquing the temporal phylogenetic method, also dismissed the proposed synonymy, stating that merging genera based solely on divergence time does not align with taxonomy's need to mirror evolutionary history.

Molecular phylogenetics analysis has refined ''Punctelia'' species identification, uncovering many cryptic species – a growing research trend in Parmeliaceae research. For ''Punctelia'', ''P. rudecta'' was once considered to be globallly distributed across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a species complex that has subsequently been split into four distinct cryptic lineages with more restricted distributional ranges, reducing ''P. rudecta'' range to North America. This study also uncovered five ''Punctelia'' clades, each with unique medullary chemistry: clades A, B, and C have species with lecanoric acid, clade D has species with gyrophoric acid as the main compound, while clade E has two species with fatty acids as the main secondary chemical.

Description

''Punctelia'' lichens are medium-sized, foliose (leafy), and grey to greyish-green, although collected specimens gradually lose their colour tone. The size range for most typical specimens is in diameter. The that comprise the thallus are typically across. The medulla is white, while the lower surface ranges from pale to black. , unbranched rhizines are present that extend to the edge of the lobe; they are usually more or less the same colour as the thallus underside, although individuals with light rhizines on a dark background are not unusual.

A major characteristic of ''Punctelia'' is the presence of point-like (') pseudocyphellae on the surface of the thallus. These are tiny pores that facilitate gas exchange. In the genus ''Parmelia'', pseudocyphellae are straight and without a distinct form, and typically situated on the thallus surface (') and/or on the margins ('). In comparison, ''Punctelia'' pseudocyphellae are rounded (''orbicular'') and laminal, although in some species the cortex gets pushed around the edges of the thallus, giving them a marginal appearance. Electron microscopy of ''Parmelia'' pseudocyphellae reveals a perforated polysaccharide layer; this layer is absent in ''Punctelia''. Pseudocyphellae are termed ''conspicuous'' when they can be viewed with the naked eye, ''inconspicuous'' when a hand lens or microscope is needed to see them, and ''subtle'' for intermediate states where they can be seen only with concerted effort.

The apothecia (sexual reproductive structures) are , with brown . Ascospores are colourless, ellipsoid, and number eight per ascus; they range in size from 10–27 to 6–18  μm. The unciform (hook-like) shape of the conidia is another major characteristic of genus ''Punctelia''. These are short rods measuring 4–7 μm long with one end curved. Although not all ''Punctelia'' species have unciform conidia, this conidial shape only occurs in ''Punctelia''. Some species have filiform (threadlike) conidia that are in the size range 7–12 μm long by 0.8–1 μm wide. The size and shape of the conidia is an important character in some species; for example, '' P. graminicola'' and '' P. hypoleucites'' are morphologically indistinguishable from each other, and they can only be reliably identified by differences in their conidia. Cell walls of ''Punctelia'' lichens contain the alpha glucan polysaccharide isolichenan.

Other Parmeliaceae genera that are superficially similar to ''Punctelia'' and have pseudocyphellae are ''Flavopunctelia'' and '' Cetrelia''. ''Flavopunctelia'' species tend to be yellower than ''Punctelia'' due to the presence of usnic acid in the cortex. ''Cetrelia'' is usually larger with lobes measuring , a dark lower thallus surface, and few rhizines.

Secondary chemicals found in the genus include atranorin in the cortex, and gyrophoric acid in the medulla. Lecanoric acid has been detected as a minor component in '' Punctelia jujensis'' and '' P. subrudecta''.

Photobiont

Most lichen genera associate with a photobiont partner from one algal genus. ''Punctelia'' is no exception to this general rule; it associates with species from the most common photobiont genus, ''Trebouxia''. In a study of photobiont partner selectivity, ''Punctelia subrudecta'' specimens collected from central Europe were shown to have a moderate selectivity, associating with three species of ''Trebouxia'': '' T. jamesii'', '' T. arboricola'', and '' T. gelatinosa'' (the latter most frequently). The photobiont partner for ''P. rudecta'' is '' Trebouxia anticipata''.

An investigation centred on the lichen species ''Punctelia borreri'' and ''P. subrudecta'', which are prominent in Europe's temperate and Mediterranean forest ecosystems, confirmed that these fungi predominantly collaborate with ''Trebouxia gelatinosa''. This symbiotic relationship appears to be influenced by the diverse climates of the Iberian Peninsula. While each ''Punctelia'' species has unique associations with specific microalgal lineages, some photobiont lineages are common to both. These shared lineages seem to be region-specific, hinting at a potential influence of local climate on these fungal-algal interactions.

Habitat and distribution

''Punctelia'' lichens are generally found on bark, wood, and rocks. However, ''P. constantimontium'' and ''P. subpraesignis'' have been recorded utilising cement mortar as a growing surface in Verónica, Buenos Aires. In the biodiverse cerrado forests of Brazil, they are more or less limited to well-lit microhabitats without direct sunlight. They have a temperate to subtropical distribution with centers of distribution in the Neotropics and Africa. Rarely does the geographical range of ''Punctelia'' species extend to boreal and cold mountainous areas; an exception is ''Punctelia stictica'', which has been recorded in Greenland. Collectively, the genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. Only a few species are known to occur in Asia and Australia; in contrast, most ''Parmelia'' species occur in these regions. Five species are known from Australia, including two cosmopolitan species and three endemic Australasian species. Sixteen ''Punctelia'' species occur in the continental United States and Canada. About half of the known ''Punctelia'' species are found in Brazil. Revised accounts of the genus have been published for several European countries in recent decades, including Norway (2000), Switzerland (2003), Denmark (2007), Lithuania (2010), and Poland. Seven species occur in Europe.

Conservation

, only a single species of ''Punctelia'' has been assessed for the global IUCN Red List. Because it has an abundant and widespread population in North America with no sign of decline, '' Punctelia caseana'' is considered a species of least concern.

Species

A recent (2022) estimate places 48 species in the genus ''Punctelia''. , Species Fungorum accepts 30 species of ''Punctelia''.
*'' Punctelia appalachensis'' – United States
*'' Punctelia bolliana'' – North America
*'' Punctelia borreri'' – cosmopolitan
*'' Punctelia borrerina'' – South America; Mexico
*'' Punctelia canaliculata'' – South America
*'' Punctelia caseana'' – eastern United States
*'' Punctelia cedrosensis'' – Baja California; northern Mexico
*'' Punctelia colombiana'' – South America
*'' Punctelia constantimontium'' – Africa; South America; Mexico
*'' Punctelia crispa'' – Brazil
*'' Punctelia diffractaica'' – Peru
*'' Punctelia digitata'' – Brazil
*'' Punctelia eganii'' – Alabama
*'' Punctelia fimbriata'' – Brazil
*'' Punctelia graminicola'' – North America
*'' Punctelia guanchica'' – Canary Islands
*'' Punctelia hypoleucites'' – Africa; North America; South America
*'' Punctelia imbricata'' – Brazil
*'' Punctelia involuta'' – Brazil
*'' Punctelia jeckeri'' – Europe; Mexico
*'' Punctelia jujensis'' – South America
*'' Punctelia microsticta'' – South America
*'' Punctelia missouriensis'' – United States
*'' Punctelia nashii'' – California
*'' Punctelia nebulata'' – Australia
*'' Punctelia negata'' – South America
*'' Punctelia neutralis'' – Africa; Asia
*'' Punctelia novozelandica'' – New Zealand
*'' Punctelia osorioi'' – Brazil
*'' Punctelia perreticulata'' – Europe; North America; South America; Australia; New Zealand
*'' Punctelia pseudocoralloidea'' – Australia
*'' Punctelia punctilla'' – Africa; South America; North America
*'' Punctelia purpurascens'' – Brazil
*'' Punctelia reddenda'' – Africa; Europe; North America; South America
*'' Punctelia riograndensis'' – Africa; South America
*'' Punctelia roseola'' – Brazil
*'' Punctelia rudecta'' – North America
*'' Punctelia ruderata'' – Asia and East Africa
*'' Punctelia stictica'' – Africa; Europe; North America; South America; Greenland
*'' Punctelia subalbicans'' – Australia; New Zealand
*'' Punctelia subflava'' – Australia
*'' Punctelia subpraesignis'' – South Africa; South America; Mexico
*'' Punctelia subrudecta'' – cosmopolitan
*'' Punctelia tomentosula'' – Peru
*'' Punctelia toxodes'' – South Africa
*'' Punctelia transtasmanica'' – Tasmania, New Zealand
*'' Punctelia ulophylla'' – Europe

The species ''Punctelia pallescens'', described by Syo Kurokawa in 1999 as a new species from western Australia, is considered synonymous with ''P. subalbicans''. ''Parmelia helenae'', described by Maurice Bouly de Lesdain in 1937 and transferred to ''Punctelia'' in 1998, was considered by some lichenologists to be a questionable taxon because, according to Teuvo Ahti, "the type material is insufficient to resolve its taxonomic relationship with ''Punctelia perrituculata'' ... and ''P. subrudecta'' ... on the basis of conidial characters". It is now placed in synonymy with ''P. subrudecta''. ''Punctelia semansiana'' is the same species as ''Punctelia graminicola''.

Parasites

Many species of lichenicolous fungi have been recorded using ''Punctelia'' as a host. These include: '' Abrothallus parmeliarum'', '' Didymocyrtis melanelixiae'', '' Epithamnolia xanthoriae'', '' Lichenoconium usneae'', '' Llimoniella bergeriana'', '' Lichenohendersonia uniseptata'', '' Nesolechia oxyspora'', '' Pronectria oligospora'', '' Pyrenidium'' sp., '' Rinodina conradii'', '' Sphaerellothecium reticulatum'', '' Tremella parmeliarum'', '' Trichosphaerella buckii'', and '' Xenonectriella subimperspicua''. One of these fungal parasites—'' Xenophoma puncteliae''—is named after its host's genus.

Human uses

Biomonitoring

Some members of ''Punctelia'' have been shown to be somewhat sensitive to air pollution. One research study identified apparent signs of damage on thalli in areas potentially affected by air pollution. The researchers suggested that the distinctive colour changes seen on ''Punctelia'' thalli could result from pollutants affecting the thylakoid membranes of the algae. This disturbance might cause the release of K+ ions, which then interact with lichen compounds, leading to these coloured markings. A study conducted in Spain observed ''Punctelia borreri'' and ''P. subrudecta'' reappearing in areas with a decline in SO₂ pollution. Two ''Punctelia'' species have been recommended for use as element bioindicators in air pollution monitoring studies in the eastern United States. ''Punctelia rudecta'' is suggested for use in cooler forested uplands, and ''P. missouriensis'' for use in isolated woodlands or urban areas. Because of the widespread occurrence of ''P. hypoleucites'' in both urban and industrial sites in and around Tandil, Argentina, it has been proposed as a potential biomonitor of air pollution in that city.

Traditional medicine

''Punctelia borreri'' has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as an alleged remedy for a variety of ailments, including chronic dermatitis, blurred vision, bleeding from the uterus or from external injuries, and for sores and swelling. To use, a decoction was drunk, or the dried and powdered lichen applied directly to the affected area.

Dyeing

''Punctelia rudecta'' can be used to create a dye by a color- extraction with ammonia as a solvent. A pink color is obtained using this method.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5236470

*
Lecanorales genera
Lichen genera
Taxa named by Hildur Krog
Taxa described in 1982