Cryptodiscus is a monophyletic group of saprotrophic or lichenized fungi characterized by small, urceolate apothecia, mostly hyaline ascomatal walls without any embedded crystals, no clear periphysoids, and with oblong to narrow cylindrical, septate ascospores. It forms a well-supported clade together with Absconditella and the remaining Stictidaceae (see Baloch & al. 2009). The species growing on Cladonia were treated by Pino-Bodas & al. (2017), a new lichenicolous species was recently described from the Alps by Berger & Zimmermann (2021). This key included one lichenized and two lichenicolous species whose presence in Italy is possible. Non-lichenized, saprobic species are not treated.

References

Baloch E., Gilenstam G., Wedin M. 2009. Phylogeny and classification of Cryptodiscus, with a taxonomic synopsis of the Swedish species. Fungal Diversity, 38: 51-68.
Berger F., Zimmermann E. 2021. Contribution to the knowledge of the lichenicolous mycobiota of the Alps I. ‒ More records from Tyrol and Switzerland. Herzogia, 34, 2: 428-460.
Pino-Bodas R., Zhurbenko M.P., Stenroos S. 2017. Phylogenetic placement within Lecanoromycetes of lichenicolous fungi associated with Cladonia and some other genera. Persoonia, 39: 91-117.

Last modified: December 13, 2024

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