''Scutula'' is a genus of

lichenicolous fungi A lichenicolous fungus is a member of a specialised group of fungi that live exclusively on lichens as their host (biology), host organisms. These fungi, comprising over 2,000 known species across 280 genera, exhibit a wide range of ecological st ...

in the family

Ramalinaceae The Ramalinaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Lecanorales. First proposed by Carl Adolph Agardh in 1821, the family now comprises 63 genera and about 750 species. Ramalinaceae lichens exhibit diverse growth forms, includin ...

Taxonomy

The genus ''Scutula'' was circumscribed by French botanist Louis René Étienne Tulasne in 1862. The limits of the generic circumscription as well as the limits of certain species in ''Scutula'' was confused for a long time. In 1997, Triebel and colleagues applied the name ''Scutula'' specifically to a group of species growing on

hosts A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County * Host Island, in the Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica People * ...

of the Lecanorales suborder Peltigerineae, a

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

grouping of

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria ( ) are a group of autotrophic gram-negative bacteria that can obtain biological energy via oxygenic photosynthesis. The name "cyanobacteria" () refers to their bluish green (cyan) color, which forms the basis of cyanobacteri ...

-associated lichens. Before this, ''Scutula'' was applied to a diverse set of unrelated lichenicolous fungi featuring

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from , and . Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is named after its glassy appearance on fresh gross pathology. On light microscopy of H&E stained slides, the extracellula ...

spores with a single

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

and sessile apothecia. Once classified in the family Micareaceae,

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

analysis showed ''Scutula'' to be nested within the

, closely related to the genus '' Toninia''. This familial placement has been accepted in recent large-scale updates of fungal classifications.

Description

''Scutula'' species are characterized by

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 ...

that are either lecideine (where exciple forms the underside and outer layer of the apothecium, extending up to the rim, where it forms a darkened "proper margin") or biatorine (having a pale, not darkened proper margin and always lacking a thalline margin). The paraphyses are non-capitate (i.e., lacking a knob-like structure at the tip). Asci have a fuzzy

amyloid Amyloids are aggregates of proteins characterised by a fibrillar morphology of typically 7–13 nm in diameter, a β-sheet secondary structure (known as cross-β) and ability to be stained by particular dyes, such as Congo red. In the human ...

(in Lugol's iodine solution after pre-treatment with KOH) axial tube structure of the ‘Scutula’-type. The

ascospore In fungi, an ascospore is the sexual spore formed inside an ascus—the sac-like cell that defines the division Ascomycota, the largest and most diverse Division (botany), division of fungi. After two parental cell nucleus, nuclei fuse, the ascu ...

s are smooth,

, and contain a single septum.

Anamorph In mycology, the terms teleomorph, anamorph, and holomorph apply to portions of the life cycles of fungi in the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota: *Teleomorph: the sexual reproductive stage (morph), typically a fruiting body. *Anamorph: an ase ...

s associated with ''Scutula'' include ''Libertiella'' in the mesoconidia and ''Karsteniomyces'' in the macroconidia.

Species

*'' Scutula aggregata'' Bagl. & Carestia (1889) *'' Scutula circumspecta'' (Nyl. ex Vain.) Kistenich, Timdal, Bendiksby & S.Ekman (2018) *'' Scutula curvispora'' (D.Hawksw. & Miadl.) Diederich (2018) *'' Scutula dedicata'' Triebel, Wedin & Rambold (1997) *'' Scutula didymospora'' (D.Hawksw. & Miadl.) Diederich (2018) *'' Scutula effusa'' (Auersw. ex Rabenh.) Kistenich, Timdal, Bendiksby & S.Ekman (2018) *'' Scutula epiblastematica'' (Wallr.) Rehm (1890) *'' Scutula heeri'' (Hepp ex A.Massal.) P. Karst. (1885) *'' Scutula krempelhuberi'' Körb. (1865) *'' Scutula miliaris'' (Wallr.) P.Karst. (1853) *'' Scutula nephromatis'' (Speg.) Etayo (2008) *'' Scutula pseudocyphellariae'' Etayo & Triebel (2010) *'' Scutula solorinaria'' (Nyl.) P.Karst. (1885) *'' Scutula stereocaulorum'' (Anzi) Körb. (1865) *'' Scutula tuberculosa'' (Th.Fr.) Rehm (1906) *'' Scutula wallrothii'' Tul. (1852)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q112792 Ramalinaceae Lichenicolous fungi Lecanorales genera Taxa named by Charles Tulasne Taxa described in 1852