Gyalectidium atrosquamulatum
Gyalectidium atrosquamulatum is a species of lichen-forming fungus in the family Gomphillaceae. It is a leaf-dwelling lichen known only from montane rainforest in Kenya, where it was discovered at about 2,100 metres elevation. The species is distinguished by its distinctive dark brownish-black to black reproductive scales, which separate it from similar species in the genus that typically have paler-coloured structures.
Taxonomy
Gyalectidium atrosquamulatum was described as a new species in 2001 by Robert Lücking and Klaus Kalb. In the original description, it was compared with Gyalectidium imperfectum and separated by its dark scales.Description
The thallus forms rounded to irregular patches about 1–3 mm across. Its surface is finely and greenish to whitish grey.Hyphophores are produced at the margin of the thallus. The scales begin as a thin brownish layer covering the diahyphal mass, then develop into small, horizontally oriented scales that are narrowly fan-shaped to triangular, with an entire to only slightly irregular edge. They measure about 0.1–0.2 mm in both length and width and are brownish black to black. Apothecia are present; they are rounded, about 0.1–0.2 mm in diameter, with a pale brown and a darker brown margin. Ascospores are ellipsoid and measure 30–50 × 12–20 μm. Pycnidia have not been reported.