Obscuroplaca

Obscuroplaca is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains three species of corticolous, crustose lichens.

Taxonomy

The genus, published in 2021 by lichenologists Ulrik Søchting, Ulf Arup, and Frank Bungartz, is a replacement for Phaeoplaca, an illegitimate name circumscribed by the same authors the previous year. The genus name combines the Latin obscuro, with placa, a reference to Caloplaca, the genus from which the species were originally transferred.
Obscuroplaca occupies a distinct and well-defined clade within the subfamily Caloplacoideae of the family Teloschistaceae.

Description

The thallus of Obscuroplaca species grows on tree bark, and is characterized by its crustose form and a surface marked by cracks and fissures. When it comes to reproduction, this lichen develops apothecia, which are typically brown in colour. Inside these apothecia are clavate-shaped asci of the Teloschistes type, each containing eight spores. These have a structure with a wide septum.

Species

Obscuroplaca species occur in Australia, the Galápagos Islands, Mexico, and the southeastern USA.