Candelariaceae
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Through Lichen, Fungus and Photosynthesis
Taxonomy
The family was circumscribed by Finnish lichenologist Rainar Hakulinen in 1954 to contain the type genus, Candelaria. This genus had formerly been placed in the Parmeliaceae by Alexander Zahlbruckner in 1926, while the crustose lichen genus Candelariella was classified among the crustose Lecanoraceae. Hakulinen also included the genus Placomaronea, which contains umbilicate species.
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Description
The Candelariaceae family exhibits a diverse range of growth forms, including crustose, squamulose, peltate-subumbilicate, and microfoliose thalli, typically characterized by their bright yellow colour. The photobiont in these lichens is chlorococcoid, contributing to their photosynthetic abilities. The reproductive structures, or ascomata, are predominantly lecanorine apothecia, although biatorine apothecia are also found in some instances.
The hamathecium, which is part of the ascomata, is made up of unbranched or slightly branched, amyloid paraphyses. The asci, or spore-bearing structures, have an apical tholus with an amyloid outer wall. The tholus is weakly amyloid, except for the darker, strongly amyloid lower portion, and is typically clavate in shape. Each ascus contains 8 to 64 ascospores, which are either non-septate or indistinctly 1-septate. These spores are hyaline, non-amyloid, and vary in shape from ellipsoid to citriform (lemon-shaped).
Candelariaceae lichens also produce conidiomata, which are pycnidia-containing structures. The conidia, or asexual spores, are non-septate, hyaline, and range in shape from ellipsoid to bacillar (rod shaped), sometimes exhibiting a curved form. The secondary chemistry of Candelariaceae lichens includes derivatives of pulmonic acid, a lichen product that contributes to their unique characteristics.
Genera
- Candelaria A.Massal. (1852) – 7 spp.
- Candelariella Müll.Arg. (1894) – ca. 50 spp.
- Candelina Poelt (1974) – 3 spp.
- Candelinella S.Y.Kondr. (2020) – 2 spp.
- Opeltiella S.Y.Kondr. (2020) – 4 spp.
- Placomaronea Räsänen (1944) – 6 spp.
- Protocandelariella Poelt, D.Liu, Hur & S.Y.Kondr. (2020) – 2 spp.