Lichinales

Lichina pygmaea

The Lichinales are an order of ascomycetes ( Ascomycota ) and alone constitute the class of Lichinomycetes. The species form lichens with cyanobacteria as photobiont.

Features

The species form gelatinous crusts, shrub or leaf lichens. The fruiting bodies are disk- shaped apothecia, sometimes depressed. In some cases, they are club-shaped, stalked, sessile. They are fleshy, the peridium is often not clearly developed. The hymenium is usually colored by iodine blue. The asci are thin-walled or thickened at the tip. You do not have clearly trained Apikalstrukturen. Often the asci have an iodine -staining outer gelatinous layer. Eight to 100 spores are formed per ascus.

The ascospores are simple or rarely multiple septate, ellopsoidisch to spindle-shaped, translucent ( hyaline ) or pigmented.

The anamorphic form pycnidia.

System

The Lichinales were asked earlier to the Lecanorales or Lecanoromycetes. DNA sequence analysis showed, however, that they form a distinct group, and together with the Geoglossaceae the sister group of the Lecanoromycetes.

To order the following families are counted ( with selected genera and species ):

• Gloeoheppiaceae with three genera
• Heppiaceae with five genera
• Lichinaceae with 42 genera
• Peltulaceae with three genera