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Chiodecton Lichen

This page provides information about lichens in the genus Chiodecton, including various species and related research.

Nomenclature and Taxonomy

• Scientific Name: Chiodecton Ach.
• Common Name: Chiodecton Lichen
• Rank: Genus, Species
• Family: Arthoniaceae, Opegraphaceae
• Kingdom: Plantae (Note: Lichens are not plants but represent a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae.)
• Synonyms:
  • Syncesia myrticola (for Chiodecton petraeum)
  • Chiodecton sanguineum var. lutescens Vain. = Herpothallon ciferrii Trivelli

Distribution and Habitat

• Chiodecton sanguineum is found abundantly in several parts of Florida.
• Other species are found in Central and South America, Tasmania, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, the Seychelles, and Madagascar.
• Often grows on the bark of trees, especially on the north sides of oak trees in Central Florida.

Morphological Characteristics

• Chiodecton cretaceum is described as a uniform whitish crustaceous lichen with a warty grey appearance.
• The thallus can be byssoid.
• Color ranges from off-white to pink to red.

Ecology and Interactions

• Chiodecton epiphyllum is a lichenicolous fungus, meaning it grows on other lichens (specifically, Coenogonium foliicolous lichen).
• Forms a symbiotic relationship with algae.

Quirky Facts

• The genus Chiodecton was originally described by Acharius in 1814.
• Fungal-algal contact in Chiodecton sanguineum is limited to wall-to-wall contact.

Further Information

• EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Explore what EOL knows about Chiodecton subochroleucum.
• ResearchGate: Find the full-text publication "The lichen genus Chiodecton in Tasmania."
• Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region, Vol 3. Tempe, AZ.
• Thor, G. (1990). The lichen genus Chiodecton and five allied genera. Opera Botanica, 103, 1-92.
• Harris 1995, More Florida lichens, where a key is presented.