Phaeoplaca – Facesoffungi number: FoF 13612

Phaeoplaca Søchting, Arup & Bungartz, gen. nov.

MycoBank number: MB 836950; Index Fungorum number: IF 836950; Facesoffungi number: FoF 13612;

Generic type: Phaeoplaca camptidia (Tuck.) Søchting, Arup & Bungartz, ibid.

Diagnosis: Thallus corticolous, crustose, rimose. Apothecia biatorine, brown, asci clavate, of Teloschistes-type, with 8 spores. Ascospores polaribilocular with wide septum. Phaeoplaca is phylogenetically well delimited on a distinct clade in Caloplacoideae with Oceanoplaca as sister genus.

Chemistry: Anthraquinones absent.

Etymology: The genus name is a combination of the syllables ‘-placa’ hinting at Caloplaca (from which species in the genus were transferred), and the Latin ‘-phaeo’ meaning ‘gray’, referring to the overall dull color of thallus and apothecia, both lacking the typically bright anthraquinones of most other members of the Teloschistaceae.

Known distribution: The genus is so far recorded from Australia, southeastern USA, Mexico, and the Galapagos Islands.

Species