Fungalpedia – Note 2371, Graphis
Graphis. Adans.
Citation when using this data: Yuan HS et al. 2020 – Fungalpedia, Ascomycota.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1
Classification: Graphidaceae, Ostropales, Ostropomycetidae, Lecanoromycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Notes: Graphis Adans. is the largest genera in Graphidaceae, with 390 species according to Lücking et al. (2017a). Members of Graphis usually occurr in open, light habitats, such as roadsides or at the edge of forests (Kalb et al. 2018). A detailed study of Graphis in Thailand was provided in Kalb et al. (2018), and refers to a broad sense of Graphis in Straiger (2002). According to Lücking (2009) Graphis is characterized by having a crustose thallus with the alga Trentepohlia as a photobiont, lirellate ascomata with uncarbonized, partly or completely carbonized exciple, an inspersed or non-inspersed hymenium and ± hyaline, transseptate or muriform I+ blue ascospores. Phylogenetically, Graphis sensu represents two distinct, distantly related clades in Rivas Plata et al. (2011), of which Graphis sensu stricto comprises G. scripta, the type species and the name Allographa Chevall. is proposed for the second clade. Recently, Lücking and Kalb (2018) have instated Allographa as a genus separate from Graphis. Allographa usually has prominent, rather massive, mostly completely carbonized and often striate lirellae, sometimes with pigmented pruina and generally with larger ascospores with more numerous septa. However, Graphis contains species with secondary thallus compounds, and with a stronger tendency to develop exposed discs.
Type species: Graphis scripta (L.) Ach., K. Vetensk-Acad. Nya Handl. 30(3): 145 (1809).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Graphis.
Figure 1 – Graphis supracola (MFLU 19−0013, a new sequenced species). a−c Habitus. d. Thallus with P+ orange. e−f Vertical section through an ascoma. e Thick section, excipulum black. f Thin section, excipulum looks brown. g Structure of excipulum in thin section. h−j Ascus; j Ascus in Melzer’s reagent. k Hymenium, clear. l−q Ascosproes; l−m Ascospores in water. n−p Ascospores in Lugol’s iodine, which present yellow to blue. q Ascospore in Melzer’s reagent which presents violet. Scale bars: a = 1 mm, b = 500 μm, c,d = 200 μm, e−f = 50 μm, g−j = 20 μm, k−q = 10 μm
References
Rivas Plata E, Hernández M. JE, Lücking, R, Staiger B, Kalb K, Cáceres MES (2011) Graphis is two genera: A remarkable case of parallel evolution in lichenized Ascomycota. Taxon 60:99–107
Entry by
Hai-Sheng Yuan, CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, People’s Republic of China, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China
Published online 30 April 2026