Lethariella sinensis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lethariella sinensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecanorales |
| Family: | Parmeliaceae |
| Genus: | Lethariella |
| Species: | L. sinensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Lethariella sinensis J.C.Wei & Y.M.Jiang (1982) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Lethariella sinensis is a species of fruticose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.[2] It was formally described as a new species in 1982 by Chinese lichenologists Jiang-Chun Wei and Yu-Mei Jiang. The type specimen was collected from Qamdo (eastern Tibet) at an altitude of 4,300 m (14,100 ft); there, it was found growing on the branch of Thuja. It is an orange, long pendant lichen with a reticulate surface.[3] In 2001, Walter Obermayer showed that the holotype specimen of Lethariella sinensis comprised two chemically unique taxa: one with psoromic acid and the other with norstictic acid. The former was chosen as the lectotype, and as a consequence, Lethariella mieheana became synonymous with L. sinensis.[1]
Lethariella sinensis is one of three species of Lethariella that is used as a purported health-promoting tea in Yunnan, China.[4] Thin-layer chromatography analysis shows the presence of the following lichen products in the thallus: atranorin, canarione, psoromic acid, 2'-O-demethylpsoromic acid, and traces of gyrophoric acid.[1]