Acanthothecis coccinea
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| Acanthothecis coccinea | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Graphidales |
| Family: | Graphidaceae |
| Genus: | Acanthothecis |
| Species: | A. coccinea |
| Binomial name | |
| Acanthothecis coccinea B.O.Sharma, Makhija & Khadilkar (2010) | |
Acanthothecis coccinea is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) script lichen in the family Graphidaceae.[1] It is distinguished by its elongated fruiting bodies, which appear pale when dry but turn bright scarlet-red when moistened. The species is known only from subtropical forest in Meghalaya, north-eastern India.
Acanthothecis coccinea was described as new to science in 2010 by Bharati Sharma, Urmila Makhija and Pradnya Khadilkar, based on material collected in the Indian state of Meghalaya. The type specimen was gathered at Mawphlang on 11 December 1978 by M.B. Nagarkar (collection 78.315), and the holotype is housed in the Ajrekar Mycological Herbarium (AMH).[2]
In the original description, the authors treated it as most similar to Acanthothecis collateralis, but separated it by its smaller ascospores. They also distinguished it from other superficially similar species using a combination of characters, including its small, 3-septate spores, a hymenium that contains scattered oil droplets (inspersed), and the presence of norstictic acid as its main lichen product.[2]