Lichenicolous fungus

A lichenicolous fungus' (from Latin -cola 'inhabitant'; akin to Latin colere 'to inhabit') is a parasitic fungus that only lives on lichen as the host.[1] A lichenicolous fungus is not the same as the fungus that is the component of the lichen, which is known as a lichenized fungus.[2] They are most commonly specific to a given fungus as the host, but they also include a wide range of pathogens, saprotrophs, and commensals.[1] It is estimated there are 3000 species of lichenicolous fungi.[3] More than 1800 species are already described among the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota.[3] More than 95% of lichenicolous fungi described as of 2003 are ascomycetes, in 7 classes and 19 orders.[1] Although basidiomycetes have less than 5% of lichenicolous lichen species, they represent 4 classes and 8 orders.[3] Many lichenicolous species have yet to be assigned a phylogenetic position as of 2003.[1]

The lichenicolous fungus Abrothallus parmeliarum growing on Parmelia saxatilis in Serra de São Mamede, Portugal

See also

References
  1. "Lichenicolous fungi : Worldwide Checklist". www.lichenicolous.net. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  2. Brodo, Irwin; Sharnoff, Sylvia; Sharnoff, Stephen (2001). Lichens of North America. New Haven, Conn. [u.a.]: Yale Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0300082494.
  3. Lichenicolous Fungi: Interactions, Evolution, and Biodiversity, Lawrey, James D.; Diederich, Paul. The Bryologist 106(1), pp. 80 120, 2003,


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.