Thallus Organization and Development in the Fruticose Lichen Aspicilia Californica, with Comparisons to other Taxa

Abstract

Thallus organization is examined in Aspicilia californica Rosentreter, a fruticose lichen known from several localities in central and southern California.

Siphula represents a remarkable case of morphological convergence in sterile lichens

“…It will be interesting to see if this receives further support by the analysis of further genes. Since the usually crustose genus Aspicilia can also contain fruticose forms (Sanders 1999), this could indicate, that a general potential exists here to evolve fruticose growth forms from primarily crustose ancestors, with a convergent subsequent loss of sexual reproduction in Siphula, Parasiphula, and Thamnolia.…”

Aspicilia uxoris, an epiphytic species from Algeria, Morocco and Spain

“…In both species, the young apothecia are typically cryptolecanorine, immersed with reduced true exciple and raised margin, appearing as nearly urceolate at maturity, whether lecanoroid or lecideoid, almost all of them with a prominent margin. Aspicilia crespiana is clearly separated from A. uxoris by its muscicolous, squamulose thallus with fungal rhizomorphs, longer conidia and by the absence of granules and crystals in its epihymenium (Sanders & Rico 1992;Rico 1999;Sanders 1999). In addition, the main difference between these species lies in the number of spores per ascus, which is up to 6 in A. crespiana (as in all species of the A. calcarea complex; cf.…”

Transplantation of lichen thalli: a case study on Cetraria islandica for conservation and pharmaceutical purposes

“…Lichen growth is related to thallus morphology (e.g. Renhorn, 1997;Sanders, 1999;Armstrong and Bradwell, 2011). The three-dimensional growth habit of the fruticose species is less constrained by the limited substratum area in comparison with other morphological groups of lichens (Renhorn, 1997).…”