Lepraria

Lepraria
Lepraria lobificans
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Stereocaulaceae
Genus: Lepraria
Ach. (1803)
Type species
Lepraria incana
(L.) Ach. (1803)
Synonyms[1]
  • Pulina Adans (1763)
  • Conia Vent. (1799)
  • Epinyctis Wallr. (1831)
  • Amphiloma Nyl. (1855)
  • Leproloma Nyl. (1883)
  • Leproloma Nyl. ex Cromb. (1894)

Lepraria is a genus of leprose crustose lichens that grows on its substrate like patches of granular, caked up, mealy dust grains.[2][3] Members of the genus are commonly called dust lichens.[3]: 305 [4][5] The main vegetative body (thallus) is made of patches of soredia (little balls of algae wrapped in fungus).[3] There are no known mechanisms for sexual reproduction, yet members of the genus continue to speciate.[2][3] Some species can form marginal lobes and appear squamulose.[3] Because of the morphological simplicity of the thallus and the absence of sexual structures, the composition of lichen products (i.e., secondary metabolites made by lichens) are important characters to distinguish between similar species in Lepraria.[6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Species Fungorum synonymy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b A taxonomic revision of the North American species of Lepraria s.l. that produce divaricatic acid, with notes on the type species of the genus L. incana, James C. Lendemer , Mycologia 103(6): 1216-1229, [1]
  3. ^ a b c d e Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0-300-19500-2
  4. ^ Dust Lichen (Lepraria), Encyclopedia of Life
  5. ^ USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Name Search
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Fehrer et al. 2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).