Usnea mayrhoferi
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| Usnea mayrhoferi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecanorales |
| Family: | Parmeliaceae |
| Genus: | Usnea |
| Species: | U. mayrhoferi |
| Binomial name | |
| Usnea mayrhoferi Herrera-Camp., Bungartz, Truong & P.Clerc (2018) | |
Usnea mayrhoferi is a species of fruticose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.[1] It is found in the Galápagos Islands.
Usnea mayrhoferi was first formally described by Maria de los Angeles Herrera-Campos, Frank Bungartz, Camille Truong, and Philippe Clerc in 2018. The species is named after Austrian lichenologist Helmut Mayrhofer, in honour of his 65th birthday. The type specimen of Usnea mayrhoferi was collected by Clerc on the Sierra Negra volcano (Isabela Island) at an altitude of 913 m (2,995 ft); there it was found growing on a living fencepost in a farming area.[2]
Description
Usnea mayrhoferi has a stiff, compact, and erect-shrubby appearance. Its branches are non-inflated and adorned with abundant tubercles, fibrils, and isidiofibrils. The base of the trunk is distinctly blackened, and annular (ring-like) cracks extend along the basal branches. Soralia (reproductive structures) are irregular and become large and excavate at the branch tips. The species has an opaque cortex, a very thin medulla, and a broad axis with an axis to medulla ratio greater than 4.5.[2]
Usnea mayrhoferi is closely related to other species such as Usnea krogiana, U. brattiae, and U. cedrosiana. However, it can be distinguished by its unique combination of characteristics, including its blackened trunk, crowded soralia, and broad axis. While some of these species share similar chemistry, Usnea mayrhoferi has only been observed with a single chemotype containing norstictic acid.[2]