Hypotrachyna guatemalensis
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| Hypotrachyna guatemalensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecanorales |
| Family: | Parmeliaceae |
| Genus: | Hypotrachyna |
| Species: | H. guatemalensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Hypotrachyna guatemalensis Elix & van den Boom (2011) | |
 Holotype: Santa María volcano, Guatemala | |
Hypotrachyna guatemalensis is a rare species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.[1] Found in Guatemala, it was described as new to science in 2011. It grows on tree trunks at about 2,700 metres elevation on Guatemala's Santa María volcano. The species is distinguished by its small size, white interior, and the presence of the rare chemical compound conhypoprotocetraric acid.
Hypotrachyna guatemalensis was described in 2011 by John Elix and Pieter van den Boom from a single collection made on the northern slope of the Santa María volcano, western Guatemala. The epithet reflects its country of origin. Morphologically the species resembles the Brazilian H. bahiana, but it is markedly smaller (thalli 4–5 cm across versus 6–20 cm) and has a white medulla rather than one variably stained orange- to brown-pigmented. It also differs in its profusion of densely, many-times-branched rhizines and in its chemistry: H. guatemalensis contains the rare depsidone compound conhypoprotocetraric acid as its principal medullary compound, together with hypoprotocetraric and 4-O-demethylnotatic acids, whereas H. bahiana is dominated by protocetraric and virensic acids. The discovery adds a second known species in the genus to feature conhypoprotocetraric acid as a major secondary metabolite.[2]