Lichenothelia D. Hawksw., Lichenologist 13(2): 142 (1981).

MycoBank number: MB 2855; Index Fungorum number: IF 2855; Facesoffungi number FoF07700; 11 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2020), 9 species with molecular data.

Type species: Lichenothelia scopularia (Nyl.) D. Hawksw.

≡ Verrucaria scopularia Nyl., Not. Sällsk. Fauna et Fl. Fenn. Förh., Ny Ser. 3: 85 (1861).

Notes: The cosmopolitan genus Lichenothelia is characterized by fertile ascomata and many species are described based on morphological identification (Ametrano et al. 2019). Both sexual and asexual morphs have been recorded (Valadbeigi et al. 2016; Wijayawardene et al. 2017a) and the taxa show a wide range of life strategies including rock inhabiting, lichenized, lichenicolous and saprobic taxa (Ametrano et al. 2019). Based on modern phylogeny, this genus is incorporated in the order Lichenotheliales (Hyde et al. 2013). Broader sampling with informative loci at the species level is required for species delimitation within this genus (Ametrano et al. 2019) (Fig. 43).

Fig. 43 Morphology of Lichenothelia spp. (redrawn from Hawksworth 1981a). a Asci of Lichenothelia scopularia. b Ascospores of Lichenothelia metzleri

Species

  • Lichenothelia scopularia