Astrothelium vulcanum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae.[1] Found in Guyana, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected from the Kuyuwini Landing (Rupununi) at an elevation of 200 m (660 ft); here, in a savannah forest, it was found growing on the smooth bark of trees. The lichen has a smooth, somewhat shiny thallus surrounded by a thin black prothallus, and covering areas up to 25 cm (10 in) in diameter. Its ascospores are spindle-shaped (fusiform) with rounded edges, with three septa and dimensions of 20–25 by 6.5–7.5 μm. Astrothelium vulcanum contains lichexanthone, a lichen product that causes the thallus to fluoresce when lit with a long-wavelength UV light.[2]
| Astrothelium vulcanum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Dothideomycetes |
| Order: | Trypetheliales |
| Family: | Trypetheliaceae |
| Genus: | Astrothelium |
| Species: | A. vulcanum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Astrothelium vulcanum Aptroot (2016)
| |
Astrothelium infravulcanum, found in Brazil and described as a new species in 2022, was named for its similar appearance to A. vulcanum, but is distinguished by its smaller ascospores, which measure 14–17 by 5–6 μm.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Astrothelium vulcanum Aptroot". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ Aptroot, André; Ertz, Damien; Etayo Salazar, Javier Angel; Gueidan, Cécile; Mercado Diaz, Joel Alejandro; Schumm, Felix; Weerakoon, Gothamie (2016). "Forty-six new species of Trypetheliaceae from the tropics". The Lichenologist. 48 (6): 609–638. doi:10.1017/s002428291600013x.
- ^ Aptroot, André; de Souza, Maria Fernanda; dos Santos, Lidiane Alves; Junior, Isaias Oliveira; Barbosa, Bruno Micael Cardoso; da Silva, Marcela Eugenia Cáceres (2022). "New species of lichenized fungi from Brazil, with a record report of 492 species in a small area of the Amazon Forest". The Bryologist. 125 (3): 435–467. doi:10.1639/0007-2745-125.3.433.
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