Squamarina is a genus of c. 30 species, mostly occurring in arid to semi-arid regions of the Northern Hemisphere; 12 infrageneric taxa are known to occur in Italy (Nimis 2016). European species were treated by Poelt (1958), and Poelt & Krüger (1970); further details on Scandinavian species are in Timdal (1983). An important paper was published by Roux & Poumarat (2024) where 6 species are described as new. According to Miadlikowska & al. (2006) the genus appears to be related to the Stereocaulaceae, which, however, is incongruent with morpho-anatomical and ecological characters (e.g. all Squamarina-species grow on calcareous substrata), so that some authors prefer to place it in its own family, the Squamarinaceae.

References

Miadlikowska J., Kauff F., Hofsterrer V., Fraker E., Grube M., Hafellner J., Reeb V., Hodkinson B.P., Kukwa M., Lücking R., Hestmark G., Otálora M.G., Rauhut A., Büdel B., Scheidegger Ch., Timdal E., Stenroos S., Ertz D., Diederich P., Lendemer J.C., May Ph., 2006. New insights into classification and evolution of the Lecanoromycetes (Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota) from phylogenetic analyses of three ribosomal RNA- and two protein-coding genes. Mycologia, 98: 1088-1103.
Nimis P.L. 2016. The Lichens of Italy. A Second Annotated Catalogue. EUT, Trieste, 739 pp.
Poelt J. 1958, Die lobaten Arten der Flechtengattung Lecanora Ach. S. Ampl. In der Holarktis. Mit bot. Staatss. München, 2, 19-20: 411-589.
Poelt J., Krüger 1970. Die Verbeitungsverhältnisse der Flechtengattung Squamarina in Europa. Feddes Rep., 81: 187-201.
Roux C., Poumarat S. 2024. Quelques espèces nouvelles ou peu connues de Squamarina (Stereocaulaceae, Lecanorales) de France. Bull. Soc. linn. Provence, 75: 80-139.
Timdal E. 1983. The genus Squamarina in Scandinavia. Lichenologist, 15, 2: 169-179.

Last modified: October, 19, 2024

Project Dryades, Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste - CC BY-SA 4.0