Austrolecia is a fungal genus in the family Catillariaceae. It is a monotypic genus, containing the single crustose lichen species Austrolecia antarctica. Both the genus and species were described as new to science in 1984 by German lichenologist Hannes Hertel. The lichen is found on the boulders and moraines of Livingston Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica).[1] Indicator species analysis suggests that the lichen prefers to grow on north-facing (rather than south-facing) rock surfaces.[2]

Austrolecia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Catillariaceae
Genus: Austrolecia
Hertel (1984)
Species:
A. antarctica
Binomial name
Austrolecia antarctica
Hertel 1984

References

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  1. ^ Hertel, Hannes (1984). Über saxicole, lecideoide Flechten der Subantarktis. Beihefte zur Nova Hedwigia (in German). Vol. 79. J. Cramer. pp. 399–499.
  2. ^ Coleine, Claudia; Pombubpa, Nuttapon; Zucconi, Laura; Onofri, Silvano; Stajich, Jason E.; Selbmann, Laura (2020). "Endolithic fungal species markers for harshest conditions in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica". Life. 10 (2): 13. Bibcode:2020Life...10...13C. doi:10.3390/life10020013. PMC 7175349. PMID 32041249.