Fungalpedia – Note 2669, Epilichen
Epilichen Clem.
Citation when using this data: Meng QF et al. – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1,2
Classification: Rhizocarpaceae, Rhizocarpales, Lecanoromycetidae, Lecanoromycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.
Epilichen was introduced by Clements (1909) to accommodate the species Epilichen scabrosus, which was transferred from Lecidea scabrosa and is parasitic on the lichen Baeomyces rupestris. Hafellner (1978) later transferred another species, Epilichen glauconigellus, from Lecidea glauconigella Nyl., which also grows on Baeomyces. Triebel (1989) introduced a new species, Epilichen stellatus, which grows on Lecidea cf. tessellata. The genus is characterized by its round, superficial apothecia, 8-spored asci, and dark, elliptic to fusoid spores with a single septum. Marthinsen et al. (2019) published the available ITS sequence data for this genus, but no phylogenetic analysis was conducted. Here, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis (Figure 1), and the result indicated that Epilichen is closely related to Rhizocarpon in Rhizocarpaceae (Rhizocarpales).
Type species: Epilichen scabrosus (Ach.) Clem.
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Epilichen.
Figure 1 – RAxML and MrBayes analysis based on the combined ITS and mtSSU sequence data. Bootstrap support values for maximum likelihood (ML ≥ 70%), and the Bayesian Posterior Probabilities (PP ≥ 0.90) are shown near the nodes as ML/PP. Lecanora anakeestiicola (NY1476) and L. anopta (405-US) were used as outgroups.
Figure 2 – Epilichen scabrosus redrawn from website: https://italic.units.it/index.php?-procedure=taxonpage&num=953 & https://fungi.myspecies.info/taxonomy/term/503/media). a Ascomata on host. b Section of ascomata. c Part of the hymenium. d Asci. e Ascospores. Scale bars: a = 2 mm, b = 200 μm, c, d = 20 μm, e = 5 μm.
References
Clements FE 1909 – The Genera of Fungi. Wilson, New York, 1–227.
Triebel D. 1989 – Lecideicole Ascomyceten. Eine Revision der obligat lichenicolen Ascomyceten auf lecideoiden Flechten. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 35, 1–278.
Entry by
Meng QF, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand and School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Guizhou 563000, China.
Published online 8 July 2026