Fungalpedia – Note 2688, Llimoniella

 

Llimoniella Hafellner & Nav.-Ros. 

Citation when using this data: Meng QF et al. – Fungalpedia.  

Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1.

Classification: Cordieritidaceae, Helotiales, Leotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi

Llimoniella was established by Hafellner (1993b) to accommodate two lichenicolous species, L. scabridula and L. adnate. The type species, L. scabridula, was transferred from Lecidea scabridula Müll. Arg., growing on Acarospora nodulosa and A. placodiiformis. This genus is characterized by black, sessile to eruptive, marginate apothecia. The excipulum has a globular to angular texture and ranges from reddish-brown to dark brown. Asci are functionally unitunicate, cylindrical to slightly clavate, with walls unthickened at the apex and typically eight-spored. The paraphyses are septate, sparsely branched, with pigmented, clavate tips. The ascospores are hyaline, unicellular, elliptical, and lack of a halo (Hafellner 1993b).

Vondrák et al. (2013) were the first to obtain ITS sequence data for Llimoniella and conducted a phylogenetic analysis, which positioned the genus within Leotiomycetes. A subsequent analysis by Suija et al. (2015b), based on three gene loci, situated Llimoniella in the subfamily Encoelioideae of Helotiaceae (Helotiales, Leotiomycetes). However, Pärtel et al. (2017) suggested a placement within Cordieritidaceae (Helotiales, Leotiomycetes) based on a five-locus phylogenetic analysis. This classification was supported by Wijayawardene et al. (2018), who formally placed the genus in Cordieritidaceae. Llimoniella fuscoatrae Hafellner was reclassified as Rhymbocarpus fuscoatrae by Diederich et al. (2000a), although this update is not recorded in Index Fungorum (2025). 22 species are recognized in this genus, all of which are lichenicolous.

Type species: Llimoniella scabridula (Müll. Arg.) Nav.-Ros. & Hafellner.

= Lecidea scabridula Müll. Arg., on Placodium nodulosum.

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Llimoniella.

Figure 1 – Llimoniella scabridula redrawn from Hafellner (1993b). a Section of ascocmata. b Asci. c Ascospores. Scale bars: a = 50 μm, b = 10 μm, c = 5 μm.

 

References

Diederich P, Etayo J. 2000a – A synopsis of the genera Skyttea, Llimoniella and Rhymbocarpus (lichenicolous Ascomycota, Leotiales). Lichenologist 32 (5), 423–485.

Hafellner J. 1993b – Llimoniella gen. nov.-eine weitere Gattung lichenicoler Discomyceten (Ascomycotina, Leotiales). Herzogia, 769–778.

Pärtel K, Baral H-O, Tamm H, Põldmaa K. 2017 – Evidence for the polyphyly of Encoelia and Encoelioideae with reconsideration of respective families in Leotiomycetes. Fungal Diversity 82, 183–219.

Suija A, Ertz D, Lawrey JD, Diederich P. 2015b – Multiple origin of the lichenicolous life habit in Helotiales, based on nuclear ribosomal sequences. Fungal Diversity 70 (1), 55–72.

Vondrak J, Palice Z, Mares J, Kocourková J. 2013 – Two Superficially Similar Lichen Crusts, Gregorella humida and Moelleropsis nebulosa, and a Description of the New Lichenicolous Fungus Llimoniella gregorellae. Herzogia 26 (1), 31–48.

Wijayawardene NN, Hyde KD, Lumbsch HT, Liu JK et al. 2018 – Outline of Ascomycota: 2017. Fungal Diversity 88 (1), 167–263.

 

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

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