Buellia aethalea is a species of lichen that belongs to the family Caliciaceae.[2] It is commonly known as darkened button lichen,[3][4] and Buellie noircie in French.[1] The lichen's familiar nickname is inspired by the appearance of its surface, adorned with small black spots reminiscent of buttons.[5]
| Buellia aethalea | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Caliciales |
| Family: | Caliciaceae |
| Genus: | Buellia |
| Species: | B. aethalea
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| Binomial name | |
| Buellia aethalea | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Description
editThe thallus of this crustose lichen has a distinctive areolate structure, with the individual areoles varying considerably in their appearance. They typically range from 0.2–0.6(−1.2) mm in diameter, displaying an angular, irregular shape. The areoles can exhibit a pale to dark grey coloration,[6][7] sometimes taking on a brownish tint that gives the thallus a discolored look.[8] Separating the areoles is a narrow, black prothallus that helps delineate the edges of the thallus.[8]
Examining the thallus microscopically reveals a white medulla[7] that lacks any deposits of calcium oxalate.[9]
Reproductive structures on this lichen are represented by its lecideine apothecia, which remain immersed within the thallus rather than developing a raised, sessile appearance. These apothecia are relatively small, measuring (0.1–)0.2–0.2(−0.5) mm in diameter. The apothecial margin is black, but indistinct and reduced, while the disc itself is flat and black,[6] lacking any sort of pruina or surface bloom.[9]
The excipular anatomy of the apothecia is rather narrow and poorly differentiated. The inner hyphae are hyaline and prosoplectenchymatous, often resembling the orientation and appearance of the paraphyses. In contrast, the outer excipular hyphae are parallel, moderately swollen, and heavily pigmented in various shades of brown and greenish blue. This pigmentation of the outer exciple also extends into the brown epihymenium.[9][7]
The hymenium itself is hyaline and lacks any conspicuous oil droplets. The paraphyses exhibit a simple to moderately branched morphology, with their apical portions swollen and capped in a brown pigment.[9]
Turning to the asci, they are clavate in shape and contain 8 ascospores each.[6] Those ascospores start out as a blue-green color but eventually mature into a dark brown hue. They are 1-septate, broadly ellipsoid in shape, and become constricted with age, measuring (11–)11.6–[12.8]–14.1(−17) x (5–)7.2–[8.1]–8.9(−10) μm.[9]
Pycnidia are quite rare on this lichen. When present, they take on a urceolate to globose, unilocular structure, with conidiogenous cells that are primarily terminal (apical), though occasionally also intercalary (among or between sub-apical cells). The conidia produced within these pycnidia are bacilliform, measuring 5–5.5 x 1 μm.[9]
Chemistry
editSpot tests reveal that the thallus and medulla are K+ yellow to red (indicating the presence of crystals), P+ yellow, and C-, KC-, CK-.[9][7] The thallus does not fluoresce under UV light, and the medulla is non-amyloid.[9] The secondary metabolites present in B. aethalea are norstictic and connorstictic acids.[9]
This lichen species is epilithic, growing on a variety of siliceous (HCl-) rock substrates.[9][1]
Distribution and ecology
editBuellia aethalea is widely distributed across temperate regions, with the species being commonly encountered in northern Europe. However, reports of its occurrence in North America are considerably scarcer.[9]
Within the Sonoran Desert region of North America, the lichen has been documented growing at higher elevations in the state of Arizona. Specific locations where B. aethalea has been observed include the San Francisco Peaks and the White Mountains.[9]
Ecologically, Buellia aethalea functions as an epilithic lichen, colonizing a variety of siliceous, or acid-based, rock substrates.[9][1]
Conservation status
editWorldwide
editAccording to NatureServe conservation status, Buellia aethalea has a global conservation status of G3 (rounded), indicating it is vulnerable.[1]
National
editIn Canada, it is ranked as N3N5, with subnational ranks of S3S5 in British Columbia and SNR (unranked) in other provinces.[1] In the United States, it is unranked nationally and, in several states.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Buellia aethalea Darkened Button Lichen". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Buellia aethalea (Ach.) Th.Fr". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ "World Species : Buellia aethalea (Darkened button lichen)". worldspecies.org. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ "Buellia aethalea | NWT Species Search". www.gov.nt.ca. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ Bungartz, Frank (2004). "The Buellia aethalea-Group in the Greater Sonoran Desert Region with Reference to Similar Species in North America" (PDF). The Bryologist. 107 (4): 443–444. doi:10.1639/0007-2745(2004)107[441:TBAITG]2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 12 April 2024 – via Internet Archive.
thallus surface matt, usually crusty and gray to pale brown ... Apothecia lecidei-ne; (0.1–)0.2–0.3(–0.5) mm in diameter; remaining immersed, not becoming sessile, predominantly in center of areoles; proper margin indistinct, reduced, inconspicious, black; disc black. These characteristic black spots, resembling tiny buttons, lend the lichen its colloquial name "darkened button lichen.
- ^ a b c "Irish lichens – Buellia aethalea". www.irishlichens.ie. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d Nimis, P.L. (2016). "Buellia aethalea (Ach.) Th. Fr". ITALIC – The Information System on Italian Lichens. Version 7.0. University of Trieste, Dept. of Biology. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Buellia aethalea". fungi.myspecies.info. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Consortium of Lichen Herbaria – Buellia aethalea". lichenportal.org. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
Further reading
edit- Fries, T.M. (1874) Lichenographia Scandinavica sive dispositio lichenum in Dania, Suecia, Norvegia, Fennia, Lapponia Rossica hactus collectorum. Vol. I Archilichenes discocarpos continens. Pars II. Upsaliae. 325–639 pp. (Mattick Rec.# 26736 – Literature on Lichens) (PDF file)
- Bungartz, F. and Nash III, T.H. (2004) The Buellia aethalea-group in the Greater Sonoran Desert Region with reference to similar species in North America. The Bryologist 107(4): 441–458. (RLL List # 198 / Rec. # 26661 – Recent Literature on Lichens) (JSTOR) (PDF file) (Description of Buella aethalea: pp. 442–445; black-and-white photos of thallus and apothecium: p. 444; map of distribution in the Greater Sonoran Desert Region: p. 453)
- Bungartz, F., Nordin, A. and Grube, U. (2007) Buellia (pp. 113–179) In: Nash III, T.H., Gries, C., and Bungartz, F. (eds.), Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region, Vol. 3. Lichens Unlimited, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 567 pages. (RLL List # 210 / Rec. # 29889 – Recent Literature on Lichens) (PDF file) (Description & map of Buellia aethalea: pp. 127–128) (Color photo of B. aethalea in central section of Vol. III)
- Dobson, F.S. (2000) (Fourth edition) Buellia (pp. 80–83) In, Lichens: An illustrated guide to the British and Irish species. The Richmond Publishing Co., Ltd., Slough, England, 431 pp. (Description and color photo of Buellia aethalea: p. 80)
- Purvis, O.W., Coppins, B.J., Hawksworth, D.L., James, P.W. and Moore, D.M. (eds.) (1992) Buellia (pp. 129–137) In, The Lichen Flora of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Natural History Museum Publication, 710 pp. (Buellia aethalea: pp. 131–132)
External links
edit- USDA Plants Database
- North American Lichen Checklist, Version (#17) 16 May 2011
- LIAS
- North American Lichen Checklist (June 2008)
- Checklist of the Lichens of Australia and its Island Territories (List "B")
Photos
edit- Pictures of tropical lichens – Buellia aethalea
- Flechtenbilder (Lichen Images) by Ulrich Kirschbaum – Buellia aethalea
- Lichen Gallery of Leif & Anita Stridvall – Buellia aethalea
- Irish lichens (photos and descriptions) – Buellia aethalea