Trichome

Arthoniaceae
Cryptothecia rubrocincta, member of the Arthoniaceae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Arthoniomycetes
Order: Arthoniales
Family: Arthoniaceae
Rchb. (1841)
Type genus
Arthonia
Ach. (1806)

The Arthoniaceae are a family of lichenized, lichenicolous and saprobic fungi in the order Arthoniales.[1] The Arthoniaceae is the largest family of Arthoniales, with around 800 species.[2] Most species in Arthoniaceae belong in Arthonia which is the largest genus with 500 species.[3] The second and third largest genus is Arthothelium with 80 species, and Cryptothecia with 60 species.[4]

Arthonia is the type genus of Arthoniaceae, and it is known to be a polyphyletic and paraphyletic genus.[5] The process of splitting Arthonia into monophyletic groups is an ongoing process. In order to make Arthonia monophyletic, several genera have been described or resurrected.[6]

Distribution[edit]

The species in Arthoniaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical areas with a Mediterranean climate.[1] They are known from arctic to tropical latitudes, as well as variating altitudes from sea level to alpine regions, distributed in both humid forests and dry habitats.[6]

Ecology[edit]

Collectively, the family have a highly variable ecology with lichenized, lichenicolous and saprobic fungi.[1] The majority of species are lichenized with a photobiont from Trentepohliaceae and a few species in Arthonia are lichenized with a photobiont from Chlorococcaleae. They grow on leaves, bark, bryophytes, and rocks.[7] Other species are lichenicolous (growing on other lichens), and a few species are known to be saprobic.[4]

History[edit]

The family was circumscribed by Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach in 1841.[1]

Genera[edit]

Herbarium specimen of Arthonia radiata (magnified 40x) showing roughly star-shaped clusters of ascomata. Found growing on the bark of red oak.

As of March 2021, Species Fungorum accepts 25 genera and 392 species in the family Arthoniaceae.[8] This is a list of the genera in the Arthoniaceae based on a 2020 review and summary of fungal classification by Wijayawardene and colleagues.[9] Following the genus name is the taxonomic authority (those who first circumscribed the genus; standardized author abbreviations are used), year of publication, and the number of species:

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Encyclopedia of Life, consulted at september the seventeenth 2013
  2. ^ Sundin, Rikard; Thor, Göran; Frisch, Andreas (2012-01-01). "A literature review of Arthonia s. lat". Biblioth. Lichenol. 108: 257–290.
  3. ^ Grube, M. "A taxonomic survey of arthonioid fungi with reddish K+ reactive pigments". Doctoral Dissertation, Karl-Franzens-Universität, Graz.
  4. ^ a b "The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland". www.nhbs.com. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  5. ^ Sundin, Rikard; Tehler, Anders (July 1998). "Phylogenetic Studies of the Genus Arthonia". The Lichenologist. 30 (4–5): 381–413. doi:10.1006/lich.1998.0155. ISSN 1096-1135. S2CID 86125904.
  6. ^ a b Frisch, Andreas; Thor, Göran; Ertz, Damien; Grube, Martin (2014-08-28). "The Arthonialean challenge: Restructuring Arthoniaceae". Taxon. 63 (4): 727–744. doi:10.12705/634.20.
  7. ^ Cannon PF, Kirk PM (2007). Fungal Families of the World. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. pp. 17–18. ISBN 978-0-85199-827-5.
  8. ^ Species Fungorum. "Arthoniaceae". Catalog of Life. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  9. ^ Wijayawardene, Nalin; Hyde, Kevin; Al-Ani, Laith Khalil Tawfeeq; Somayeh, Dolatabadi; Stadler, Marc; Haelewaters, Danny; et al. (2020). "Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa". Mycosphere. 11: 1060–1456. doi:10.5943/mycosphere/11/1/8. hdl:10481/61998.

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