Fungalpedia – Note 2654, Monerolechia

 

Monerolechia Trevis.

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

Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.

Classification: Caliciaceae, Caliciales, Lecanoromycetidae, Lecanoromycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.

Monerolechia was intrudoced by Trevisan (1856) to accommodate the type species M. bayrhofferi, originally described as Lecidea bayrhofferi, which grows on Parmelia fahlunensis. This lichenicolous genus begins as a parasite on various lichens before becoming autonomous. It is characterized by circular, patelliform, entirely black apothecia that are sessile, with a flat disc and a thick, prominent margin that eventually becomes convex and swollen. The hypothecium merges with the exciple, forming a deep black, carbonaceous, and very thick layer. The eight-spored asci are of the Lecanora-type, surrounded by paraphyses, and the ascospores are Buellia-type: ovoid-oblong, slightly curved, bilocular, and dark brown to black (Trevisan 1856, Elix 2015).

The phylogenetic status of Monerolechia remains uncertain due to the lack of molecular data. Lumbsch et al. (2007, 2010) placed the genus within Physciaceae (Teloschistales), while Wijayawardene et al. (2018, 2020, 2022) assigned it to Caliciaceae (Caliciales). For now, we tentatively accept its placement within Caliciaceae (Caliciales) pending further sequence data (Hyde et al. 2024).

Type species: Monerolechia bayrhofferi (Schaer.) Trevis. 

= Lecidea bayrhofferi Schaer.

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Monerolechia.

 References

Elix JA. 2015 – A new species of the lichen genus Monerolechia (Ascomycota, Physciaceae) from Australia. Telopea 18, 91–95.

Hyde KD, Noorabadi M, Thiyagaraja V, He M et al. 2024 – The 2024 Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa. mycosphere 15, 5146–6239.

Lumbsch HT, Huhndorf SM. 2007 – Outline of Ascomycota—2007. Myconet 13, 1–58.

Lumbsch HT, Huhndorf SM. 2010 – Myconet Volume 14. Part one. Outline of Ascomycota—2009. Part two. Notes on ascomycete systematics. Nos. 4751–5113. Fieldiana Life Earth Science 1, 1–64.

Trevisan V. 1856 – Brigantiaea, novum Lichenum. genus. Linnaea 28, 283–298.

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

Wijayawardene NN, Hyde K, Al-Ani L, Tedersoo L et al. 2020 – Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa. Mycosphere 11 (1), 1060–1456.

Wijayawardene NN, Hyde KD, Dai D-Q, Sanchez-Garcia M et al. 2022 – Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa – 2021. Mycosphere 13 (1), 53–453.

 

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 1 July 2026

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