Thecographa

The genus Thecographa features apothecia (fruiting bodies) that are initially closed and embedded (hypophloedal), but later erupt to become open, elevated, and urn-shaped (urceolate). These apothecia often appear almost stalked, and are characteristically flexible, twisted, and angular. They are rarely and sparsely branched. The apothecia are equipped with a distinctive, carbonaceous excipulum that is cup-shaped. This structure is thin but consistent, enveloped by the thallus or tree bark on which the lichen lives. Over time, the covering epidermis may gradually disappear.^[6]

The disc of the apothecia is gelatinous, flattened, and tends to lose its colour, supported by a solid, almost papery base known as the hypothecium. The asci (spore-producing structures) are club-shaped and contain 2-4-8 spores, accompanied by paraphyses (sterile filaments interspersed among the asci). The spores are elliptical or ovoid, muriform (with multiple divisions), initially transparent but becoming cloudy and opaque over time. The thallus of Thecographa is spread out and irregularly shaped, embedding itself into the substrate.^[6]

• Thecographa ceramia A.Massal. (1860)
• Thecographa crassilabra (Mont. & Bosch) A.Massal. (1860)
• Thecographa prosiliens (Mont. & Bosch) A.Massal. (1860)