Siphulopsis
Genus of lichens
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Siphulopsis is a single-species fungal genus in the family Icmadophilaceae.[2][3] This monotypic genus the contains the fruticose lichen species Siphulopsis queenslandica, found in Australia. This lichen was originally described by Gintaras Kantvilas in 2018.[4] He tentatively classified it in the genus Knightiella due to morphological similarities with Knightiella eucalypti (since transferred to the genus Knightiellastrum), but molecular phylogenetics revealed it to constitute a distinct lineage.[5]
| Siphulopsis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Pertusariales |
| Family: | Icmadophilaceae |
| Genus: | Siphulopsis Kantvilas & A.R.Nilsen (2020) |
| Species: | S. queenslandica |
| Binomial name | |
| Siphulopsis queenslandica (Kantvilas) Kantvilas & A.R.Nilsen (2020) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
The genus name Siphulopsis combines the name Siphula, referring to a similar genus, with the Greek suffix -opsis, which denotes resemblance. This naming reflects the similarity in thallus morphology between this species and those of Siphula.[5]
Description
The species Siphulopsis queenslandica initiates its growth as small, scale-like patches (squamulose) and soon develops into shrub-like, cushioned clumps (fruticose), typically presenting a whitish to pale ashen-grey colour. This species lacks rhizines (root-like structures for attachment). Upon examination of a cross-section of the thallus, a pseudocortex can be observed. This outer layer is about 20–30 μm thick and consists of poorly differentiated, short-celled hyphae, each approximately 5 μm wide. This layer also contains sporadically interspersed dead cells of its photosynthetic partner, a unicellular green alga. The algal cells are spherical and measure between 6 and 10 μm in diameter.[5]
Reproductive structures known as ascomata are not observed in this species. However, it possesses pycnidia, which are small, flask-shaped structures embedded within the thallus, producing bacilliform (rod-shaped) conidia, which are involved in asexual reproduction.[5]
The chemical composition of Siphulopsis queenslandica includes thamnolic acid, a secondary metabolite common in many lichen species.[5]
The generic description of Siphulopsis references its fruticose thallus that contains thamnolic acid, which is somewhat similar to Siphulaebut lacks rhizines and is not genetically related to this genus.[5]