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sphaerellothecium lichen

Scientific Name: Sphaerellothecium

Family: Mycosphaerellaceae

Category: Lichen

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Sphaerellothecium: A Lichenicolous Fungus

Sphaerellothecium is a genus of lichenicolous fungi, meaning it grows on lichens. It belongs to the family Mycosphaerellaceae within the kingdom Fungi.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Sphaerellothecium Zopf, 1897
  • Family: Mycosphaerellaceae
  • Common Name: Sphaerellothecium lichen
  • Synonyms: Autonyms
  • Informal Taxonomy: Fungi/Lichens - Lichens

Distribution and Habitat

Sphaerellothecium species have been recorded in various locations, including:

  • British Isles (Wales, Scotland)
  • Gran Canaria
  • Saskatchewan
  • Thailand
  • Norway
  • Southern Ural Mountains
  • Western North America
  • Iran
  • Southern British Columbia
  • "El Montecillo" park, Ablitas, Navarra

Ecological Role

Sphaerellothecium species are lichenicolous fungi, meaning they parasitize or live on other lichens. Specific examples include:

  • Sphaerellothecium siphulae growing on Siphula ceratites
  • Sphaerellothecium confragosa growing on Cladonia species
  • Sphaerellothecium cinerascens growing on Cladonia revoluta
  • Sphaerellothecium gowardii growing on a "Yellow" lichen

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Lichenicolous: Grows on other lichens.

Species within the Genus

  • Sphaerellothecium araneosum (Rehm) Zopf
  • Sphaerellothecium breussii
  • Sphaerellothecium cladoniae (Alstrup & Zhurb.) Hafellner
  • Sphaerellothecium coniodes (Nyl.) Cl. Roux & Diederich
  • Sphaerellothecium contextum Triebel
  • Sphaerellothecium giraltiae
  • Sphaerellothecium gowardii
  • Sphaerellothecium minutum
  • Sphaerellothecium parietinarium (Linds.) Hafellner & V. John
  • Sphaerellothecium reticulatum
  • Sphaerellothecium siphulae

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Parasitizes various lichen species, including those in the genus Cladonia and Siphula ceratites.

Further Information

  • British Lichen Society (BLS) Lichen Database
  • Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region
  • CABI