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Skyttea
Scientific Name: Skyttea
Family: Odontotremataceae
Category: Lichen
Growth:
Duration:
Other Names:
About the Genus Skyttea
The genus Skyttea encompasses a group of lichenicolous fungi, meaning they live on lichens. These fungi are characterized by their unique ascomata.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Kingdom: Fungi
- Phylum: Ascomycota
- Class: Ascomycetes
- Order: Ostropales (in some classifications) or Leotiales (in some classifications)
- Family: Odontotremataceae
- Genus: Skyttea Sherwood, D. Hawksw. & Coppins
- Synonyms: Some species may have alternative scientific names, as reflected in various databases and taxonomic resources.
Morphological Characteristics
- Skyttea species are characterized by urceolate ascomata (flask-shaped fruiting bodies).
- Young ascomata have a narrow pore.
- The exciple (outer layer of the ascomata) is greenish or brownish, rarely reddish, and composed of conglutinate hyphae.
Distribution and Habitat
- Skyttea species are found in various locations worldwide.
- Specific examples include:
- Maine (USA), where Skyttea richardsonii was discovered.
- Britain and Ireland, where Skyttea nitschkei is found.
- Catalunya, Islas Baleares y Maltra, where Skyttea heterochroae is present.
Ecology
- Skyttea species are lichenicolous fungi, meaning they grow on and often parasitize lichens.
- Specific interactions include:
- Skyttea megalosporae growing on Megalospora tuberculosa.
- Skyttea pyrenulae growing on Parmelia saxatilis.
- Skyttea heterochroae growing on Pertusaria heterochroa.
Specific Species Examples
- Skyttea richardsonii: A species discovered in Maine, USA, found on a sterile corticolous lichen.
- Skyttea nitschkei: A species with the authority (Krb.) Sherwood, D. Hawksw. & Coppins.
- Skyttea tephromelarum: Found in the Greater Sonoran Desert.
- Skyttea elachistophora: A lichenicolous discomycete.
- Skyttea mayrhoferi: Classified within the order Ostropales.
- Skyttea viridis: Has a distribution map available.
Further Information
- Index Fungorum: http://www.indexfungorum.org/names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=5043
- Discover Life: Provides information about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Skyttea tephromelarum.
- NBN (data.nbn.org.uk): Contains the UK distribution map of Skyttea elachistophora.