Icmadophilaceae
The Icmadophilaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Pertusariales. The family was circumscribed in 1993 by the mycologist Dagmar Treibel. It contains 9 genera and 35 species.
Description
Icmadophilaceae species are usually crust-like to shrub-like in form. Their partner is, which is crucial for their survival. Their apothecia are typically in form, meaning they have a light-coloured margin, and are often pink in colour. Some may have stalk-like structures, referred to as.Within these reproductive structures, Icmadophilaceae lichens have unbranched filaments called paraphyses, which are amyloid. The asci, or spore sacs, in these lichens are thin-walled and lack a thickened top section but have a thin, amyloid cap at their tips. They are typically cylindrical in shape.
Each ascus typically contains eight spores. These spores come in various shapes – ellipsoid, oblong,, to cutriform – and are clear and non-amyloid. In addition to spore reproduction, Icmadophilaceae lichens can also reproduce asexually through structures called pycnidia, which produce rod-shaped, hyaline conidia.
In terms of chemical composition, this family is characterised by a variety of depsides, a type of secondary metabolite commonly found in lichens.