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coenogonium lichen

Scientific Name: Coenogonium

Family: Gyalectaceae

Category: Lichen

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Coenogonium Lichen

Coenogonium is a genus of lichens with several species exhibiting diverse characteristics and distributions. This page provides information about this fascinating group of organisms.

Common Names

  • Coenogonium Lichen
  • Orange pixie-hair lichen (for Coenogonium luteum)
  • Pixie-hair Lichen (for Coenogonium implexum)

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Coenogonium C.G. Ehrenberg in C.G.D. Nees von Esenbeck, 1820
  • Kingdom: Plantae (referring to plants generally, lichens are now classified within the Fungi kingdom)
  • Phylum: Lichens
  • Class: Lecanoromycetes
  • Order: Ostropales, Gyalectales
  • Family: Coenogoniaceae, Gyalectaceae
  • Synonyms: Mentions of Dimerella being included in Coenogonium.
  • Species Examples: Coenogonium aciculatum, Coenogonium boninense, Coenogonium botryosum, Coenogonium chloroticum, Coenogonium congense, Coenogonium dilucidum, Coenogonium disjunctum, Coenogonium flavicans, Coenogonium implexum, Coenogonium interplexum, Coenogonium isidiatum, Coenogonium linkii, Coenogonium luteum, Coenogonium minimum, Coenogonium missiense, Coenogonium wernerhuberi.

Distribution and Habitat

  • Found worldwide, including South Korea, Costa Rica, Vietnam, Brazil (especially Amazonia), China (Yunnan), Dominican Republic, and the USA (Florida).
  • Grows on stems, hanging roots, and lianas in the understory of neotropical regions.
  • Some species are corticolous (growing on bark) or foliicolous (growing on leaves).
  • Coenogonium missiense is found in caves (Missi Cave).

Morphological Characteristics

  • Filamentous lichen, often green to yellow-orange.
  • Some species have a byssoid thallus (wispy growth form resembling teased wool).
  • Thalli can be fan-shaped and consist of filaments.
  • Some species have light orange apothecia (fruiting bodies).

Ecological Role

  • Some species are lichenicolous fungi, meaning they grow on other lichens (e.g., Chiodecton epiphyllum on Coenogonium flavicans).
  • The alga is the dominant symbiont in the morphology of Coenogonium.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Coenogonium interplexum is a symbiotic association between an alga and a fungus.
  • Chiodecton epiphyllum is a lichenicolous fungus growing on species of Coenogonium.

Further Information

  • Refer to "Lichens of North America" by Brodo, I.M., Sharnoff, S.D. and Sharnoff, S. (2001) for more information.
  • Consult the British Lichen Society (BLS) Mapping Scheme dataset.