Astrothelium lucidostromum | |
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Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Ascomycota |
Class: | Dothideomycetes |
Order: | Trypetheliales |
Family: | Trypetheliaceae |
Genus: | Astrothelium |
Species: | A. lucidostromum
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Binomial name | |
Astrothelium lucidostromum
Aptroot (2016)
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Astrothelium lucidostromum 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 Dutch lichenologist André Aptroot. The type specimen was collected by Harrie Sipman about 45 km (28 mi) south of Aishalton ( Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) at an altitude of 230 m (750 ft); there, it was found in a savanna forest growing on smooth tree bark. The lichen has a smooth and somewhat shiny, pale yellowish-grey thallus with a cortex but lacking a prothallus, which covers areas of up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter. The presence of the lichen does not induce the formation of galls in the host plant. The pseudostromata contains lichexanthone, a lichen product that causes that structure to fluoresce when lit with a long-wavelength UV light. [2] The main characteristics of the lichen distinguishing it from others in Astrothelium are the UV+ pseudostroma; the fused ascomata; and the immersed pseudostroma that have a white cover (contrasting with the thallus colour). [3] Astrothelium eustomuralis is a smiliar species, but in that species, lichexanthone only occurs in the ostiole, not the entire pseudostroma. [2]