Caliciaceae
Caliciaceae Chevall. [as 'Calicineae'], Fl. gén. env. Paris (Paris) 1: 314 (1826), IF: 80543
Typification Details:
Calicium Pers. 1794
This family was established by Chevallier (1826) with lichenized and lichenicolous species. Currently Caliciaceae comprises around 29 genera and 630 species (Jaklitsch et al. 2016). Taxa form crustose to squamulose, foliose, or fruticose lichen thalli. Ascomata are characterized by having mazediate to non-mazaediate, stalked to sessile, mostly lecideine and rarely lecanorine, blackish apothecia. The excipulum is composed of proso- or paraplectenchymatous cells. The outer excipulum cells are usually dark brown, while the inner cells are hyaline. Paraphyses are unbranched or slightly branched and amyloid. Asci are mostly semifissitunicate and amyloid, but in some genera prototunicate. Ascospores are septate (1–3-septate), muriform to ellipsoid (Jaklitsch et al. 2016, Prieto & Wedin 2016). Some taxa produce secondary metabolites such as terpenes, depsidones (e.g., norstictic acid), lichexanthone, and sometimes anthraquinones e.g., in a pigmented medulla (Jaklitsch et al. 2016). Species are widely distributed in temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions specially on bark, rocks and wood (Jaklitsch et al. 2016).
References:
Ekanayaka AH, Hyde KD, Jones EBG, Zhao Q, Bulgakov TS 2019 – New and known discolichens from Asia and eastern Europe. Asian Journal of Mycology 2(1), 48–86, Doi 10.5943/ajom/2/1/2
Recent Genus
RutstroemiaXeropilidium
Ionomidotis
Recent Species
Encoelia furfuraceaRutstroemia tiliacea
Xeropilidium dennisii