Astrothelium is a large genus of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichens in the family Trypetheliaceae. The genus is characterized by a corticate thallus and diverse ascomata structures, which can be simple, aggregated, or forming . Astrothelium is also notable for the walls of its ascomata, the so-called (i.e., tightly interwoven) arrangement of cells in these walls, and various forms of , transparent spores.

Taxonomy

The genus was circumscribed in 1824 by German botanist Franz Gerhard Eschweiler, with Astrothelium conicum assigned as the type species.

Description

The thallus, or the vegetative body of Astrothelium, is , meaning it is covered by a protective . The ascomata, which are the fruiting bodies containing the reproductive spores, can appear in various forms such as simple, aggregated, or forming . These structures often differ in their composition and colour, and can be used as to distinguish between species. The ascomata can range from being immersed within the thallus to prominently displayed on the surface. The ostioles, or small openings that allow the release of spores, can be located at the apex or eccentrically on the ascomata and may appear as either simple or fused structures.

Astrothelium is also notable for its ascomatal wall, which is made up of hyphal cells and is typically carbonized. The wall features a , a term used to describe a tightly interwoven arrangement of cells.

Within the , the tissue that houses the asci (spore-producing structures), the cells are either clear or filled with oil droplets. The ascospores, which are the sexual spores responsible for reproduction, are and hyaline in appearance. They can also exhibit a variety of forms, including transversely septate or , reflecting their segmented or multi-cellular nature.

Species

, Species Fungorum accepts 267 species in Astrothelium.

• Astrothelium aenascens

• Astrothelium aeneoides – Brazil

• Astrothelium aeneum

• Astrothelium alboverrucoides

• Astrothelium alboverrucum

• Astrothelium amazonum

• Astrothelium ambiguum

• Astrothelium amylosporum – Bolivia

• Astrothelium andamanicum

• Astrothelium annulare

• Astrothelium astrolucidum – Brazil

• Astrothelium aurantiacocinereum

• Astrothelium aurantiacum

• Astrothelium aurantioseptemseptatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium auratum

• Astrothelium aureoirregulare

• Astrothelium aureomaculatum

• Astrothelium basilicum

• Astrothelium bicolor

• Astrothelium bireagens – Colombia

• Astrothelium bivelum – Brazil

• Astrothelium buckii

• Astrothelium bulbosum – Brazil

• Astrothelium bullatothallinum – Venezuela

• Astrothelium bullatum – Bolivia

• Astrothelium calosporum

• Astrothelium campylocartilagineum

• Astrothelium carassense

• Astrothelium carrascoense – Bolivia

• Astrothelium cartilagineum

• Astrothelium cayennense – French Guiana

• Astrothelium cecidiogenum

• Astrothelium ceratinum

• Astrothelium chapadense

• Astrothelium chrysoglyphum

• Astrothelium chrysostomum

• Astrothelium chulumanense – Bolivia

• Astrothelium cinereorosellum

• Astrothelium cinereum

• Astrothelium citrisporum – Brazil

• Astrothelium clypeatum

• Astrothelium coccineum – Mexico

• Astrothelium colombiense

• Astrothelium coloratum – Brazil

• Astrothelium condoricum

• Astrothelium confluens

• Astrothelium conicum

• Astrothelium conjugatum

• Astrothelium consimile

• Astrothelium corallinum

• Astrothelium corticatum

• Astrothelium crassum

• Astrothelium cryptolucens

• Astrothelium curvatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium curvisporum – Brazil

• Astrothelium decemseptatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium deforme

• Astrothelium defossum

• Astrothelium degenerans

• Astrothelium diaphanocorticatum – Papua New Guinea

• Astrothelium dicoloratum

• Astrothelium dimidioinspersum – Brazil

• Astrothelium disjunctum – Brazil

• Astrothelium dissimilum

• Astrothelium duplicatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium ecuadorense

• Astrothelium effusum

• Astrothelium elixii – Bolivia

• Astrothelium endochryseum

• Astrothelium eumultiseptatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium eustominspersum – Brazil

• Astrothelium eustomurale – Brazil

• Astrothelium exostemmatis

• Astrothelium fallax

• Astrothelium feei

• Astrothelium fernandae

• Astrothelium ferrugineum

• Astrothelium fijiense

• Astrothelium flavocoronatum

• Astrothelium flavoduplex – Brazil

• Astrothelium flavogigasporum – Brazil

• Astrothelium flavomaculatum

• Astrothelium flavomegaspermum

• Astrothelium flavomeristosporum

• Astrothelium flavomurisporum – Brazil

• Astrothelium flavostiolatum

• Astrothelium flavostromatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium flavum – Brazil

• Astrothelium fuscosporum

• Astrothelium galbineum

• Astrothelium galligenum

• Astrothelium gigantosporum

• Astrothelium globosum – Brazil

• Astrothelium graphicum – Brazil

• Astrothelium grossoides

• Astrothelium guianense

• Astrothelium gyalostiolatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium himalayense

• Astrothelium indicum

• Astrothelium infossum

• Astrothelium infravulcanum – Brazil

• Astrothelium infuscatulum

• Astrothelium inspersaeneum

• Astrothelium inspersonitidulum – Brazil

• Astrothelium inspersoconicum

• Astrothelium inspersogalbineum

• Astrothelium inspersonovemseptatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium inspersotuberculosum – Bolivia

• Astrothelium insulare – Brazil

• Astrothelium intermedium

• Astrothelium introflavidum – Brazil

• Astrothelium irregulare

• Astrothelium isidiatum – Bolivia

• Astrothelium isohypocrellinum

• Astrothelium jiangxiense

• Astrothelium keralense

• Astrothelium komposchii

• Astrothelium kunzei

• Astrothelium laevithallinum

• Astrothelium laurerosphaerioides

• Astrothelium lauroides – Brazil

• Astrothelium leioplacum

• Astrothelium leucosessile

• Astrothelium lineatum

• Astrothelium longisporum – Brazil

• Astrothelium lucidomedullatum

• Astrothelium lucidostromum

• Astrothelium lucidothallinum

• Astrothelium lugescens

• Astrothelium luminothallinum

• Astrothelium luridum

• Astrothelium macrocarpum

• Astrothelium macroeustomum – French Guiana

• Astrothelium macrosporum

• Astrothelium macrostiolatum

• Astrothelium macrostomoides

• Astrothelium macrostomum – Brazil

• Astrothelium marcidum

• Astrothelium marjoleinae – Brazil

• Astrothelium meandratum – Brazil

• Astrothelium mediocrassum

• Astrothelium medioincrassatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium megacrypticum

• Astrothelium megaeneum – Bolivia

• Astrothelium megaleium

• Astrothelium megalophthalmum

• Astrothelium megalostomum

• Astrothelium megaspermum

• Astrothelium megatropicum

• Astrothelium megeustomum – Brazil

• Astrothelium megeustomurale – Brazil

• Astrothelium meghalayense

• Astrothelium megochroleucum

• Astrothelium meiophorum

• Astrothelium meristosporoides

• Astrothelium meristosporum

• Astrothelium mesoduplex – Brazil

• Astrothelium miniannulare

• Astrothelium minicecidiogenum – Costa Rica

• Astrothelium mordonialense

• Astrothelium multireflexum – Brazil

• Astrothelium muriconicum

• Astrothelium myopicum – Brazil

• Astrothelium neglectum

• Astrothelium neodiplocarpum – Bolivia

• Astrothelium neogalbineum

• Astrothelium neoinspersum

• Astrothelium neovariolosum

• Astrothelium nicaraguense

• Astrothelium nigratum

• Astrothelium nigrocacuminum – Bolivia

• Astrothelium nigrorufum

• Astrothelium nigrum – Brazil

• Astrothelium nitidiusculum

• Astrothelium nitidulum

• Astrothelium norisianum

• Astrothelium novemseptatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium obtectum

• Astrothelium ochraceum

• Astrothelium ochroleucoides – Brazil

• Astrothelium octoseptatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium octosporoides

• Astrothelium octosporum

• Astrothelium oligocarpum

• Astrothelium olivaceofuscum

• Astrothelium palaeoexostemmatis – Thailand

• Astrothelium pallidoflavum – Bolivia

• Astrothelium papillosum

• Astrothelium papulosum

• Astrothelium parabathelium – Brazil

• Astrothelium parathelioides – Brazil

• Astrothelium peranceps

• Astrothelium perspersum

• Astrothelium phaeothelium

• Astrothelium philippinense

• Astrothelium phlyctaena

• Astrothelium pictum – Brazil

• Astrothelium porosum

• Astrothelium praetervisum

• Astrothelium pseudannulare

• Astrothelium pseudocrassum

• Astrothelium pseudodermatodes

• Astrothelium pseudodissimulum

• Astrothelium pseudoferrugineum

• Astrothelium pseudomegalophthalmum

• Astrothelium pseudoplatystomum

• Astrothelium pseudovariatum

• Astrothelium puiggarii

• Astrothelium pulcherrimum

• Astrothelium pupula

• Astrothelium purpurascens

• Astrothelium pustulatum

• Astrothelium pyrenuliforme – Bolivia

• Astrothelium quasimamillanum – Brazil

• Astrothelium quatuorseptatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium quintannulare – Brazil

• Astrothelium quintosulphureum – Brazil

• Astrothelium rhinothallinum

• Astrothelium rimosum

• Astrothelium robustosporum – Brazil

• Astrothelium rogitamae

• Astrothelium rubrocrystallinum – Brazil

• Astrothelium rubrostiolatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium rufescens

• Astrothelium sanguinarium

• Astrothelium sanguineoxanthum

• Astrothelium santessonii

• Astrothelium saxicola

• Astrothelium scoria

• Astrothelium scoriothelium

• Astrothelium scorizum

• Astrothelium septemseptatum

• Astrothelium septoconicum

• Astrothelium sexloculatum

• Astrothelium siamense

• Astrothelium sierraleonense

• Astrothelium sikkimense

• Astrothelium simplex – Brazil

• Astrothelium sinense

• Astrothelium sinuosum – Brazil

• Astrothelium sipmanii

• Astrothelium solitarium – Brazil

• Astrothelium sordithecium

• Astrothelium spectabile

• Astrothelium sphaerioides

• Astrothelium squamosum – Brazil

• Astrothelium stellare – Brazil

• Astrothelium stramineum

• Astrothelium straminicolor

• Astrothelium stromatocinnamomeum – Brazil

• Astrothelium stromatofluorescens – Brazil

• Astrothelium stromatolucidum – Colombia

• Astrothelium studerae – Brazil

• Astrothelium subcatervarium

• Astrothelium subdiscretum

• Astrothelium subdisjunctum

• Astrothelium subdissocians

• Astrothelium subendochryseum

• Astrothelium subeustominspersum

• Astrothelium subinterjectum

• Astrothelium subnitidiusculum

• Astrothelium subrufescens

• Astrothelium subscoria – Bolivia

• Astrothelium subsiamense

• Astrothelium sulphureum

• Astrothelium superbum

• Astrothelium supraclandestinum – Brazil

• Astrothelium suprainspersum – Brazil

• Astrothelium tanianum – Malaysia

• Astrothelium tenue

• Astrothelium testudineum – Brazil

• Astrothelium tetrasporum – Brazil

• Astrothelium thelotremoides

• Astrothelium trematum

• Astrothelium trypethelioides

• Astrothelium trypethelizans

• Astrothelium tuberculosum

• Astrothelium ubianense

• Astrothelium ultralucens

• Astrothelium unisporum

• Astrothelium valsoides – Brazil

• Astrothelium variabile – Bolivia

• Astrothelium variatum

• Astrothelium vezdae

• Astrothelium vulcanum

• Astrothelium xanthocavatum – Brazil

• Astrothelium xanthopseudocyphellatum

• Astrothelium xanthosordithecium – Brazil

• Astrothelium xanthosuperbum – Brazil

• Astrothelium zebrinum

References