Fungalpedia – Note 2680, Nanostictis
Nanostictis M.S. Christ.
Citation when using this data: Meng QF et al. – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1.
Classification: Stictidaceae, Ostropales, Ostropomycetidae, Lecanoromycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Nanostictis was introduced by Christiansen (1954) for a Stictis-like discomycete found on Peltigera thalli, with N. peltigerae (growing on Peltigera polydactyla) designated as the type species. This genus is characterized by immersed, whitish to yellowish ascomata, typically with a thick margin that opens by rupturing the host’s cortex. The exciple structure is highly variable, ranging from paraplectenchymatous to prosoplectenchymatous. The hymenium shows an I+ red and KI+ blue reaction. The asci are bitunicate, with an apical widening and a short ocular chamber, while the ascospores are filiform to fusiform and multiseptate (Etayo 2017).
Due to its resemblance to Stictis, Sherwood (1977) placed Nanostictis within Ostropales. Lumbsch et al. (2007) further classified it within Stictidaceae (Ostropales), a position subsequently supported by later studies. Nine recognized species are recognized in this genus, all lichenicolous and predominantly occurring on foliose lichen thalli. Sequence data for this genus is not yet available.
Type species: Nanostictis peltigerae M.S. Christ.
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Nanostictis.
Figure 1 – The section of ascomata of Nanostictis peltigerae redrawn from Etayo et al. (1996c).
References
Christiansen MS. 1954 – Nanostictis, a new genus of scolecosporous Discomycetes. Botanisk Tidsskrift 51, 59–65.
Etayo J 2017 – Hongos liquenícolas de Ecuador. Opera Lilloana, 50, 1–535.
Lumbsch HT, Huhndorf SM. 2007 – Outline of Ascomycota—2007. Myconet 13, 1–58.
Sherwood MA. 1977 – The Ostropalean fungi. Mycotaxon 5 (1), 1–277.
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