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Gomphillaceae

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Gomphillaceae
Gomphillus americanus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Graphidales
Family: Gomphillaceae
Walt.Watson (1929)
Type genus
Gomphillus
Nyl. (1855)
Synonyms
  • Gomphillaceae Walt.Watson ex Hafellner (1984)

The Gomphillaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Graphidales. Species in this family are found mostly in tropical regions.[1] The family underwent a major molecular phylogenetics-led reorganisation in 2023, in which 17 genera were recognised and formally established as new or reinstated.

Taxonomy

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The Gomphillaceae has undergone significant taxonomic revision as molecular analysis techniques have improved scientists' understanding of relationships between species. As of 2024, the family includes approximately 440 accepted species, of which 422 are lichenised (form a symbiotic relationship with algae) and 18 are lichenicolous or fungicolous (grow on other lichens or fungi).[2]

The family is particularly diverse in tropical regions, where many species grow on leaves in wet forests. However, some members, particularly in the genus Gyalideopsis, can also be found growing on other surfaces and extend into temperate regions. Recent molecular phylogenetics studies (analysis of DNA sequences to determine evolutionary relationships) have led to a major reorganisation of the family's classification. The research identified 46 distinct genera, including 19 newly recognised lineages. This represents a significant expansion from the previous understanding of the family's diversity. A challenge in classifying members of this family is that only about 27% of known species have had their DNA sequenced. To address this, researchers have used a technique called "phylogenetic binning", which uses physical characteristics to predict where unsequenced species fit within the phylogenetic tree based on their similarities to sequenced relatives. The actual number of species in the family may be significantly higher than currently recognised, possibly exceeding 800 species. This is because detailed examination often reveals that what appears to be a single species may actually be several distinct but closely related species (known as cryptic species).[2]

Description

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The family Gomphillaceae is characterized by its crust-like thallus, which is the outer layer of the lichen body. These lichens contain chlorococcoid photobionts, which are symbiotic algae that help the lichen to produce food through photosynthesis. The reproductive structures of Gomphillaceae lichens, known as ascomata, can be apothecioid or lirellate in form. Apothecia occur in a few forms, including biatorine or zeorine to sometimes lecideine.[3]

The internal structure of hymenium (the fertile, spore-producing part of the lichen), called the hamathecium, consists primarily of branched and interwoven paraphyses. The asci, or spore-producing sacs, are annelasceous and feature a distinctive apical tholus and ring structure. They can be clavate, oblong, or fusiform in shape and do not exhibit any amyloid properties. These asci typically produce eight ascospores, although some may produce fewer, ranging from one to four spores. The ascospores are hyaline (transparent), and have thin walls and distinct eusepta. They can be ellipsoid or oblong in shape, and their internal divisions (septa) can be transverse or muriform.[3]

Gomphillaceae lichens also produce conidiomata, which are asexual reproductive structures. These are mostly hyphophores, and the conidia are formed as branched hyphae, called diahyphae, within gelatinous masses. The conidia are typically septate, often taking on a moniliform or bead-like appearance, and are also hyaline. In terms of secondary chemistry, Gomphillaceae lichens generally lack any notable substances.[3]

Genera

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According to a recent (2024) compilation of fungal classification, the Gomphillaceae comprise 44 genera and about 340 species. The following list indicates the genus name, the taxonomic authority, year of publication, and the number of species:[4]

References

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  1. ^ Cannon PF; Kirk PM (2007). Fungal Families of the World. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. pp. 142–143. ISBN 978-0-85199-827-5.
  2. ^ a b Xavier-Leite, Amanda Barreto; Goto, Bruno Tomio; da Silva Cáceres, Marcela Eugenia; Lücking, Robert (2024). "Reclassification of species in the lichenized family Gomphillaceae Walt. Watson ex Hafellner (Ascomycota: Graphidales) using morphology-based phylogenetic binning". Cryptogamie, Mycologie. 45 (8): 83–99. doi:10.5252/cryptogamie-mycologie2024v45a8.
  3. ^ a b c Jaklitsch, Walter; Baral, Hans-Otto; Lücking, Robert; Lumbsch, H. Thorsten (2016). Frey, Wolfgang (ed.). Syllabus of Plant Families: Adolf Engler's Syllabus der Pflanzenfamilien. Vol. 1/2 (13 ed.). Berlin Stuttgart: Gebr. Borntraeger Verlagsbuchhandlung, Borntraeger Science Publishers. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-3-443-01089-8. OCLC 429208213.
  4. ^ Hyde, K.D.; Noorabadi, M.T.; Thiyagaraja, V.; He, M.Q.; Johnston, P.R.; Wijesinghe, S.N.; et al. (2024). "The 2024 Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa". Mycosphere. 15 (1): 5262–5263. doi:10.5943/mycosphere/15/1/25.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Xavier-Leite, Amanda Barreto; Goto, Bruno Tomio; Lücking, Robert; da Silva Cáceres, Marcela Eugenia (2023). "New genera in the lichenized family Gomphillaceae (Ascomycota: Graphidales) focusing on neotropical taxa". Mycological Progress. 22 (12): e88. doi:10.1007/s11557-023-01933-1.
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