Seirophora Poelt
Flora, 174, 5/6: 440, 1983.
Systematics:
Phylum: Ascomycota Caval.-Sm.
Subphylum: Pezizomycotina O.E.Erikss. & Winka
Class: Lecanoromycetes O.E.Erikss. & Winka
Subclass: Lecanoromycetidae P.M.Kirk, P.F.Cannon, J.C.David & Stalpers ex Miądl., Lutzoni & Lumbsch
Order: Teloschistales D.Hawksw. & O.E.Erikss.
Suborder: Teloschistineae Gaya & Lutzoni
Family: Teloschistaceae Zahlbr.
Brief description: Thallus subfruticose to fruticose, grey to brown, rarely orange, often with multiseriate hairs consisting of strongly conglutinated hyphae, erhizinate, attached by a basal holdfast. Cortex prosoplectenchymatous to intricately scleroplectenchymatous, of strongly conglutinated (after treatment with K), thick (3-7 µm) hyphae with thick walls (c. 1-2 µm). Apothecia lecanorine to zeorine, with an orange disc and a most often persistent thalline margin. .Epithecium orange-brown, K+ red; hymenium and hypothecium colourless. Asci 8- spored, clavate, functionally unitunicate, apically thickened with a broad internal beak, the inner part of apex and external cap I+ blue, Teloschistes-type. Ascospores 2-celled, polarilocular, hyaline, narrowly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, the equatorial thickening (“septum”) short to medium (2-4 µm in water). Pycnidia slightly projecting, orange. Conidia simple, hyaline, bacilliform to narrowly ellipsoid. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Chemistry: apothecial disc, and sometimes also thallus, with parietin (major), fallacinal, teloschistin, and parietinic acid (all minor), and emodin (minor).
Note: This genus of the Teloschistaceae, with c. 11 species differs from Teloschistes in a number of characters, such as the lack of cilia or rhizines, the presence of multiseriate, complex hairs consisting of strongly conglutinated hyphae, and spores with a shorter equatorial thickening (see also Arup & al. 2013). The species occur in rather dry areas, but with frequent spells of high air humidity.
Type: Seirophora magara (Kremp.) Poelt (= S. villosa).
