Astrothelium is a large genus of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichens in the family Trypetheliaceae. The genus is characterized by a corticate thallus and diverse ascomata structures, which can be simple, aggregated, or forming . Astrothelium is also notable for the walls of its ascomata, the so-called (i.e., tightly interwoven) arrangement of cells in these walls, and various forms of , transparent spores.
Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed in 1824 by German botanist Franz Gerhard Eschweiler, with Astrothelium conicum assigned as the type species.
Description The thallus, or the vegetative body of Astrothelium, is , meaning it is covered by a protective . The ascomata, which are the fruiting bodies containing the reproductive spores, can appear in various forms such as simple, aggregated, or forming . These structures often differ in their composition and colour, and can be used as to distinguish between species. The ascomata can range from being immersed within the thallus to prominently displayed on the surface. The ostioles, or small openings that allow the release of spores, can be located at the apex or eccentrically on the ascomata and may appear as either simple or fused structures.
Astrothelium is also notable for its ascomatal wall, which is made up of hyphal cells and is typically carbonized. The wall features a , a term used to describe a tightly interwoven arrangement of cells.
Within the , the tissue that houses the asci (spore-producing structures), the cells are either clear or filled with oil droplets. The ascospores, which are the sexual spores responsible for reproduction, are and hyaline in appearance. They can also exhibit a variety of forms, including transversely septate or , reflecting their segmented or multi-cellular nature.
Species , Species Fungorum accepts 267 species in Astrothelium. Astrothelium aenascens Astrothelium aeneoides – Brazil Astrothelium aeneum Astrothelium alboverrucoides Astrothelium alboverrucum Astrothelium amazonum Astrothelium ambiguum Astrothelium amylosporum – Bolivia Astrothelium andamanicum Astrothelium annulare Astrothelium astrolucidum – Brazil Astrothelium aurantiacocinereum Astrothelium aurantiacum Astrothelium aurantioseptemseptatum – Brazil Astrothelium auratum Astrothelium aureoirregulare Astrothelium aureomaculatum Astrothelium basilicum Astrothelium bicolor Astrothelium bireagens – Colombia Astrothelium bivelum – Brazil Astrothelium buckii Astrothelium bulbosum – Brazil Astrothelium bullatothallinum – Venezuela Astrothelium bullatum – Bolivia Astrothelium calosporum Astrothelium campylocartilagineum Astrothelium carassense Astrothelium carrascoense – Bolivia Astrothelium cartilagineum Astrothelium cayennense – French Guiana Astrothelium cecidiogenum Astrothelium ceratinum Astrothelium chapadense Astrothelium chrysoglyphum Astrothelium chrysostomum Astrothelium chulumanense – Bolivia Astrothelium cinereorosellum Astrothelium cinereum Astrothelium citrisporum – Brazil Astrothelium clypeatum Astrothelium coccineum – Mexico Astrothelium colombiense Astrothelium coloratum – Brazil Astrothelium condoricum Astrothelium confluens Astrothelium conicum Astrothelium conjugatum Astrothelium consimile Astrothelium corallinum Astrothelium corticatum Astrothelium crassum Astrothelium cryptolucens Astrothelium curvatum – Brazil Astrothelium curvisporum – Brazil Astrothelium decemseptatum – Brazil Astrothelium deforme Astrothelium defossum Astrothelium degenerans Astrothelium diaphanocorticatum – Papua New Guinea Astrothelium dicoloratum Astrothelium dimidioinspersum – Brazil Astrothelium disjunctum – Brazil Astrothelium dissimilum Astrothelium duplicatum – Brazil Astrothelium ecuadorense Astrothelium effusum Astrothelium elixii – Bolivia Astrothelium endochryseum Astrothelium eumultiseptatum – Brazil Astrothelium eustominspersum – Brazil Astrothelium eustomurale – Brazil Astrothelium exostemmatis Astrothelium fallax Astrothelium feei Astrothelium fernandae Astrothelium ferrugineum Astrothelium fijiense Astrothelium flavocoronatum Astrothelium flavoduplex – Brazil Astrothelium flavogigasporum – Brazil Astrothelium flavomaculatum Astrothelium flavomegaspermum Astrothelium flavomeristosporum Astrothelium flavomurisporum – Brazil Astrothelium flavostiolatum Astrothelium flavostromatum – Brazil Astrothelium flavum – Brazil Astrothelium fuscosporum Astrothelium galbineum Astrothelium galligenum Astrothelium gigantosporum Astrothelium globosum – Brazil Astrothelium graphicum – Brazil Astrothelium grossoides Astrothelium guianense Astrothelium gyalostiolatum – Brazil Astrothelium himalayense Astrothelium indicum Astrothelium infossum Astrothelium infravulcanum – Brazil Astrothelium infuscatulum Astrothelium inspersaeneum Astrothelium inspersonitidulum – Brazil Astrothelium inspersoconicum Astrothelium inspersogalbineum Astrothelium inspersonovemseptatum – Brazil Astrothelium inspersotuberculosum – Bolivia Astrothelium insulare – Brazil Astrothelium intermedium Astrothelium introflavidum – Brazil Astrothelium irregulare Astrothelium isidiatum – Bolivia Astrothelium isohypocrellinum Astrothelium jiangxiense Astrothelium keralense Astrothelium komposchii Astrothelium kunzei Astrothelium laevithallinum Astrothelium laurerosphaerioides Astrothelium lauroides – Brazil Astrothelium leioplacum Astrothelium leucosessile Astrothelium lineatum Astrothelium longisporum – Brazil Astrothelium lucidomedullatum Astrothelium lucidostromum Astrothelium lucidothallinum Astrothelium lugescens Astrothelium luminothallinum Astrothelium luridum Astrothelium macrocarpum Astrothelium macroeustomum – French Guiana Astrothelium macrosporum Astrothelium macrostiolatum Astrothelium macrostomoides Astrothelium macrostomum – Brazil
Astrothelium marcidum Astrothelium marjoleinae – Brazil Astrothelium meandratum – Brazil Astrothelium mediocrassum Astrothelium medioincrassatum – Brazil
Astrothelium megacrypticum Astrothelium megaeneum – Bolivia Astrothelium megaleium Astrothelium megalophthalmum Astrothelium megalostomum Astrothelium megaspermum Astrothelium megatropicum Astrothelium megeustomum – Brazil Astrothelium megeustomurale – Brazil Astrothelium meghalayense Astrothelium megochroleucum Astrothelium meiophorum Astrothelium meristosporoides Astrothelium meristosporum Astrothelium mesoduplex – Brazil Astrothelium miniannulare Astrothelium minicecidiogenum – Costa Rica Astrothelium mordonialense Astrothelium multireflexum – Brazil Astrothelium muriconicum Astrothelium myopicum – Brazil Astrothelium neglectum Astrothelium neodiplocarpum – Bolivia Astrothelium neogalbineum Astrothelium neoinspersum Astrothelium neovariolosum Astrothelium nicaraguense
Astrothelium nigratum Astrothelium nigrocacuminum – Bolivia Astrothelium nigrorufum Astrothelium nigrum – Brazil Astrothelium nitidiusculum Astrothelium nitidulum Astrothelium norisianum Astrothelium novemseptatum – Brazil Astrothelium obtectum Astrothelium ochraceum Astrothelium ochroleucoides – Brazil Astrothelium octoseptatum – Brazil Astrothelium octosporoides Astrothelium octosporum Astrothelium oligocarpum Astrothelium olivaceofuscum Astrothelium palaeoexostemmatis – Thailand Astrothelium pallidoflavum – Bolivia Astrothelium papillosum Astrothelium papulosum Astrothelium parabathelium – Brazil Astrothelium parathelioides – Brazil Astrothelium peranceps Astrothelium perspersum Astrothelium phaeothelium Astrothelium philippinense Astrothelium phlyctaena Astrothelium pictum – Brazil Astrothelium porosum Astrothelium praetervisum Astrothelium pseudannulare Astrothelium pseudocrassum Astrothelium pseudodermatodes Astrothelium pseudodissimulum Astrothelium pseudoferrugineum Astrothelium pseudomegalophthalmum Astrothelium pseudoplatystomum Astrothelium pseudovariatum Astrothelium puiggarii Astrothelium pulcherrimum Astrothelium pupula Astrothelium purpurascens Astrothelium pustulatum Astrothelium pyrenuliforme – Bolivia Astrothelium quasimamillanum – Brazil Astrothelium quatuorseptatum – Brazil Astrothelium quintannulare – Brazil Astrothelium quintosulphureum – Brazil Astrothelium rhinothallinum Astrothelium rimosum Astrothelium robustosporum – Brazil Astrothelium rogitamae Astrothelium rubrocrystallinum – Brazil Astrothelium rubrostiolatum – Brazil Astrothelium rufescens Astrothelium sanguinarium Astrothelium sanguineoxanthum Astrothelium santessonii Astrothelium saxicola Astrothelium scoria Astrothelium scoriothelium Astrothelium scorizum Astrothelium septemseptatum Astrothelium septoconicum Astrothelium sexloculatum Astrothelium siamense Astrothelium sierraleonense Astrothelium sikkimense Astrothelium simplex – Brazil Astrothelium sinense Astrothelium sinuosum – Brazil Astrothelium sipmanii Astrothelium solitarium – Brazil Astrothelium sordithecium Astrothelium spectabile Astrothelium sphaerioides Astrothelium squamosum – Brazil Astrothelium stellare – Brazil Astrothelium stramineum Astrothelium straminicolor Astrothelium stromatocinnamomeum – Brazil Astrothelium stromatofluorescens – Brazil Astrothelium stromatolucidum – Colombia Astrothelium studerae – Brazil Astrothelium subcatervarium Astrothelium subdiscretum Astrothelium subdisjunctum Astrothelium subdissocians Astrothelium subendochryseum Astrothelium subeustominspersum Astrothelium subinterjectum Astrothelium subnitidiusculum Astrothelium subrufescens Astrothelium subscoria – Bolivia Astrothelium subsiamense Astrothelium sulphureum Astrothelium superbum Astrothelium supraclandestinum – Brazil Astrothelium suprainspersum – Brazil Astrothelium tanianum – Malaysia Astrothelium tenue Astrothelium testudineum – Brazil Astrothelium tetrasporum – Brazil Astrothelium thelotremoides Astrothelium trematum Astrothelium trypethelioides Astrothelium trypethelizans Astrothelium tuberculosum Astrothelium ubianense Astrothelium ultralucens Astrothelium unisporum Astrothelium valsoides – Brazil Astrothelium variabile – Bolivia Astrothelium variatum Astrothelium vezdae Astrothelium vulcanum Astrothelium xanthocavatum – Brazil Astrothelium xanthopseudocyphellatum Astrothelium xanthosordithecium – Brazil Astrothelium xanthosuperbum – Brazil Astrothelium zebrinum
References