Flavoplaca
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| Flavoplaca | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Flavoplaca flavocitrina | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Teloschistales |
| Family: | Teloschistaceae |
| Genus: | Flavoplaca Arup, Søchting & Frödén (2013) |
| Type species | |
| Flavoplaca citrina (Hoffm.) Arup, Frödén & Søchting (2013) | |
Flavoplaca is a genus of crust-like or scaly lichens in the family Teloschistaceae. It has about 30 species with a mostly Northern Hemisphere distribution.[1] The genus was established in 2013 when genetic studies revealed that these species formed their own distinct evolutionary group, separate from other lichen classifications where they were previously placed. These lichens typically grow on limestone and other calcium-rich rocks, forming distinctive orange to yellow crusty patches that are particularly common in coastal environments and sunny locations. Most species grow directly on rock surfaces, but unusually for lichens, four species in the genus are parasitic and live on other lichen species instead.
The genus was circumscribed in 2013 by Ulf Arup, Patrik Frödén and Ulrik Søchting, with Flavoplaca citrina as the type species. The genus formed a well-supported clade in molecular phylogenetics analysis. Flavoplaca species are closely related to Calogaya species that have lobes. There are other genera with roughly similar morphological features as Flavoplaca (examples include Polycauliona, Orientophila, Sirenophila, and Villophora), but they are genetically different and have different distributions. Arup and colleagues included 26 species in the genus; most were originally named as members of the genera Caloplaca or Lecanora.[2]
Recent molecular studies have continued to refine the taxonomy of the genus. In 2024, three additional species were transferred to Flavoplaca based on phylogenetic analysis: F. ruderum, F. itiana, and F. sol. These transfers helped resolve several taxonomic uncertainties within the group. F. ruderum was found to be closely related to F. communis, F. maritima, and F. havaasii, forming a well-supported clade within the genus. The study also clarified historical confusion surrounding the identities of F. itiana, F. calcitrapa, and Caloplaca dalmatica, demonstrating that some specimens previously identified as C. dalmatica actually represent F. itiana.[3]
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