Hypotrachyna paracitrella
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| Hypotrachyna paracitrella | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecanorales |
| Family: | Parmeliaceae |
| Genus: | Hypotrachyna |
| Species: | H. paracitrella |
| Binomial name | |
| Hypotrachyna paracitrella Sipman (2011) | |
 Holotype: Llanganates National Park, Ecuador | |
Hypotrachyna paracitrella is a rare species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.[1] Described in 2011 from a single specimen collected in Ecuador's Llanganates National Park, this lichen is distinguished by its lack of attachment structures (rhizines) on the underside of its thallus and its distinctive branching black hairs (cilia) along the margins. It forms small yellowish-green rosettes on tree branches in high-altitude dwarf forest at nearly 3,800 metres elevation and is known only from its original discovery site.
Hypotrachyna paracitrella was described in 2011 by Harrie Sipman and Zdeněk Palice from a single collection made high in Ecuador's Llanganates National Park. The epithet alludes to its similarity to H. citrella: both share yellow-tinged lobes and the same salazinic acid chemistry. The new species, however, entirely lacks rhizines (root-like holdfasts) and instead bears black marginal cilia that branch once to three times. These two features set it apart from H. citrella and from most members of Hypotrachyna, prompting the authors to suggest that rhizine-free, fork-ciliate species such as H. paracitrella, H. parasinuosa and H. paraphyscioides may warrant placement in a separate lineage when the polyphyletic genus is eventually split.[2]