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Buellia bahiana

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Buellia bahiana
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Caliciales
Family: Caliciaceae
Genus: Buellia
Species:
B. bahiana
Binomial name
Buellia bahiana
Malme
Synonyms[1]
  • Hafellia bahiana (Malme) Sheard, 1992

Buellia bahiana (commonly known as bay buttons[2]) is a crustose-type lichen species that frequently grows on the bark and wood of trees found in coastal and inland forest habitats.[3][2] This lichen species exhibits a broad geographic distribution, being documented in various pantropical and subtropical regions around the world.[3] Specific areas where Buellia bahiana has been recorded include parts of Australia, Africa, North America, Central America, South America, and several Pacific Island chains.[3]

Description

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Buellia bahiana has a thin, continuous thallus that can range in texture from membranous to areolate.[3] The thallus color varies from white to grey-white or pale grey.[3][2] A prothallus, the dark border around the thallus, is typically only evident when the lichen is growing adjacent to other species.[3]

The lichen produces abundant, sessile apothecia that are 0.1-0.7 mm wide.[3] These apothecia have a black, epruinose (lacking a waxy bloom) disc that is plane to slightly convex in shape. The margin of the apothecia is also black and persistent.[3][2] Microscopically, the proper exciple, the layer beneath the disc, is dark brown to brown, black, but paler internally.[3]

The epihymenium, the uppermost layer of the hymenium, is 10-15 μm thick and ranges in color from olive to blue-green or dark olive-green. This layer turns violet when exposed to potassium hydroxide (K+ violet).[3] The hymenium, the spore-bearing layer, is 65-85 μm thick and contains numerous oil droplets dispersed throughout.[3] The hypothecium, the layer beneath the hymenium, is 35-80 μm thick and dark brown in color.[3]

The asci, the spore-producing structures, contain 8 ascospores each. The ascospores are 1-septate, meaning they have a single wall dividing them, and measure 13-20 μm long by 5.5-8.0 μm wide. They are often slightly elongated at the ends and have distinct thickenings of the subapical and septum regions of the spore wall. The outer wall of the ascospores is smooth.[3] Pycnidia, the structures that produce asexual spores, have not been observed on this species.[3][2]

Chemistry

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Chemical analysis via spot test shows that the thallus of Buellia bahiana tests positive for two substances. It reacts K+ red, indicating the presence of norstictic acid as a major component. The thallus also tests P+ yellow or yellow orange, revealing the minor or trace compound connorstictic acid.[3]

Habitat and distribution

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Buellia bahiana is commonly found growing on the bark and wood of trees in coastal and hinterland forests in several regions of Australia, including Western Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania.[3] This lichen species has a broader pantropical to subtropical distribution.[3][2]

Beyond its distribution in Australia, this lichen species is also known to occur in various locations across the Pacific region, Central America, North America, and South America.[3] Specific areas where Buellia bahiana has been documented include Tahiti, Hawaiian Islands, and the New Caledonia.[3]

Conservation status

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In the U.S. state of Georgia, Buellia bahiana is considered a rare species, reported from swamps and bottomland forests.[2] However, its overall conservation status in other parts of its range is generally unknown.[4]

Under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 in the state of Queensland, Australia, the conservation status of this lichen species is listed as "Least Concern".[5][a]

Notes and references

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Notes

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  1. ^ NCA Status Code: C=Least concern wildlife[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Buellia bahiana Malme". Consortium of Lichen Herbaria.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Buellia bahiana". georgiabiodiversity.org. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Buellia bahiana". www.anbg.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  4. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  5. ^ "Species profile—Buellia bahiana". Queensland Government. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  6. ^ "Status Codes and Descriptions". The University of Queensland.