{{Short description|Genus of lichen-forming fungi}} {{Use Oxford spelling|date=January 2026}} {{Automatic_taxobox | image = Aspicilia cinerea.jpg | image_caption = ''[[Aspicilia cinerea]]'' | taxon = Aspicilia | authority = [[A.Massal.]] (1852) | type_species = ''Aspicilia cinerea'' | type_species_authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]) [[Körb.]] (1855) }}
'''''Aspicilia''''' ('''sunken disk lichen''') is a [[genus]] of mostly [[crustose lichen|crustose]] [[areolate lichen|areolate]] [[lichen]]s that grow on rock. Most members have black [[apothecia]] discs that are slightly immersed in the areolas, hence the [[List of common names of lichen genera|common name]]"''<ref name="SSFGCL">Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, {{ISBN|978-0-300-19500-2}}</ref>''{{rp|223}}Given the same reason, the naming of ''Aspicilia'' is derived from the Greek word for "shield concave".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Consortium of Lichen Herbaria - Aspicilia |url=https://lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxauthid=1&taxon=Aspicilia&clid=1032 |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=lichenportal.org}}</ref>
Most of the species of this genus grow on [[calcareous]] and acidic rocks and most of the taxa prefer [[temperate]] and arctic habitats.
Some members of the genus ''Aspicilia'' are [[pioneer species]] on granite and other hard rock, after which members of other lichen species may grow on them, such as members of ''[[Acarospora]]''.<ref name="ACAROSPORALFGSDR">ACAROPSPORA, Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 3., Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bugartz, F., (eds.) 2001, [http://lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=52996]</ref>
==Description== Members of this genus are weakly cracked to distinctly areolate, with a scattered to whole [[thallus|thalli]]. Some of the species of this genus are disc-shaped with plicate lobes at the circumference; these lobes may appear chalky white, grayish, greenish or brownish. Some possess [[vegetative reproduction|vegetative]] means of propagation such as [[isidium|isidia]] (column-like structures of fungal and algal cells normally found on the top-side or outer cortex of the lichen) and [[soredia]] (structures that produce soralia, granule-like masses of intertwined fungal and algal cells occurring on top of the cortex and on the margins).
They have characteristic [[ascomata]] which are mostly immersed but occasionally emergent. They have 4 to 8 spored [[Ascus|asci]] that are cylindrical to club-shaped. Their [[ascospores]] are typically [[ellipsoid]] to [[globose]] in shape, colorless and thin-walled. They often contain β-orcinol depsidones ([[secondary metabolite]]s of lichens) such as [[norstictic acid]] and [[stictic acid]]s; others have [[fatty acids]] or [[triterpenes]]. In genus ''Aspicilia'' dramatic changes in growth forms are very common, and some taxa may display extreme transitions within the same population or even changes within the same thallus.<ref name="Weber 1967"/>
==Classification== Previously placed in the family [[Hymeneliaceae]], [[phylogenetic]] analyses indicate that the genus is better placed in the family [[Megasporaceae]].<ref name="Schmitt 2006"/>
==Species== {{As of|2021|October}}, [[Species Fungorum]] accepts 70 species of ''Aspicilia''.<ref name="CoL-Fungorum: Aspicilia"/> {{div col|colwidth=30em}} *''[[Aspicilia abbasiana]]'' {{small|S.Y.Kondr., Lőkös, Ismayil & S.Y.Guo (2016)}} *''[[Aspicilia albosparsa]]'' {{small|(Werner) S.Y.Kondr. (2002)}} *''[[Aspicilia angelica]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia aquatica]]'' {{small|(Fr.) Körb. (1855)}} *''[[Aspicilia arizonica]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia armeniaca]]'' {{small|(Werner) S.Y.Kondr. (2002)}} *''[[Aspicilia aurantiaca]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia auricularis]]'' {{small|(Werner) S.Y.Kondr. (2002)}} *''[[Aspicilia berntii]]'' {{small|A.Nordin, Tibell & Owe-Larss. (2008)}} *''[[Aspicilia bicensis]]'' {{small|F.Anderson & Lendemer (2016)}} *''[[Aspicilia blastidiata]]'' {{small|Paukov, A.Nordin & Tibell (2015)}} *''[[Aspicilia boykinii]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia californica]]'' {{small|Rosentr. (1998}} *''[[Aspicilia candida]]'' {{small|(Anzi) Hue (1912)}} *''[[Aspicilia cinerea]]'' {{small|(L.) Körb. (1855)}} *''[[Aspicilia confusa]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia corallophora]]'' {{small|(Poelt) Hafellner & Türk (2001)}} *''[[Aspicilia cuprea]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A. Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia cyanescens]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A. Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia desertorum]]'' {{small|(Kremp.) Mereschk. (1911)}} *''[[Aspicilia dubertretii]]'' {{small|(Werner) S.Y.Kondr. (2002)}} *''[[Aspicilia endochlora]]'' {{small|(Hook. f. & Taylor) C.W.Dodge (1948)}} *''[[Aspicilia epiglypta]]'' {{small|(Norrl. ex Nyl.) Hue (1912)}} *''[[Aspicilia euphratica]]'' {{small|(Werner) S.Y.Kondr. (2002)}} *''[[Aspicilia expansa]]'' {{small|(Lynge) Alstrup & E.S.Hansen (2001)}} *''[[Aspicilia fluviatilis]]'' {{small|A.Nordin & Owe-Larss. (2010)}} *''[[Aspicilia fruticulosofoliacea]]'' {{small|(Elenkin) Sohrabi (2010)}} *''[[Aspicilia fumosa]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia granulosa]]'' {{small|A.Nordin (2010)}} *''[[Aspicilia grisea]]'' {{small|Arnold (1891)}} *''[[Aspicilia guadalupensis]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia humida]]'' {{small|Lee (2022)}}<ref name="Lee et al. 2022"/> – South Korea *''[[Aspicilia indeterminata]]'' {{small|T.B.Wheeler (2024)}}<ref name="Wheeler et al. 2024"/> – U.S. *''[[Aspicilia knudsenii]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia laevata]]'' {{small|(Ach.) Arnold (1887)}} *''[[Aspicilia major]]'' {{small|(Lynge) Øvstedal (2009)}}<ref name="Fryday et al. 2021"/> – [[Falkland Islands]] *''[[Aspicilia nashii]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia niesenensis]]'' {{small|(H.Magn.) Hafellner (2018)}} *''[[Aspicilia ochromelaena]]'' {{small|(Zahlbr.) J.C.Wei (1991)}} *''[[Aspicilia olivaceobrunnea]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia olivaceopallida]]'' {{small|(H.Magn.) Lendemer (2013)}} *''[[Aspicilia pacifica]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia peltastictoides]]'' {{small|(Hasse) K.Knudsen & Kocourk. (2013)}} *''[[Aspicilia persica]]'' {{small|(Müll.Arg.) Sohrabi (2008)}} *''[[Aspicilia phaea]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia prestensis]]'' {{small|Cl.Roux & A.Nordin (2011)}} *''[[Aspicilia pseudoabbasiana]]'' {{small|S.Y.Kondr., Lőkös & Hur (2016)}} *''[[Aspicilia pseudovulcanica]]'' {{small|S.Y.Kondr., Lőkös & Hur (2016)}} *''[[Aspicilia punctiformis]]'' {{small|(Lynge) Øvstedal (2009)}} *''[[Aspicilia reagens]]'' {{small|(Zahlbr.) Cl.Roux & M.Bertrand (2016)}} *''[[Aspicilia santamonicae]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia serpentinicola]]'' {{small|Suza ex A.Nordin (2013)}} *''[[Aspicilia sipeana]]'' {{small|(H. Magn.) Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia stalagmitica]]'' {{small|Paukov & Davydov (2020)}} *''[[Aspicilia straussii]]'' {{small|(J.Steiner) Sohrabi (2008)}} *''[[Aspicilia suavis]]'' {{small|T.B.Wheeler (2024)}}<ref name="Wheeler et al. 2024"/> – U.S. *''[[Aspicilia subcaesia]]'' {{small|J.C.Wei (1991)}} *''[[Aspicilia subdepressa]]'' {{small|Arnold (1869)}} *''[[Aspicilia subepiglypta]]'' {{small|S.Y.Kondr., Lőkös & Hur (2016)}} *''[[Aspicilia subfarinosa]]'' {{small|(J.Steiner) Şenkard. & Sohrabi (2011)}} *''[[Aspicilia subgeographica]]'' {{small|S.Y.Kondr., Lőkös & Hur (2016)}} *''[[Aspicilia subgoettweigensis]]'' {{small|S.Y.Kondr., Lőkös & Hur (2016)}} *''[[Aspicilia submamillata]]'' {{small|S.Y.Kondr., Lőkös & Hur (2016)}} *''[[Aspicilia substerilis]]'' {{small|Sipman (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia substictica]]'' {{small|Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)}} *''[[Aspicilia taurica]]'' {{small|(Mereschk.) Hafellner (2004)}} *''[[Aspicilia tuberculosa]]'' {{small|(Ach.) J.R.Laundon (1986)}} *''[[Aspicilia verrucigera]]'' {{small|Hue (1912)}} {{div col end}}
==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Aspicilia_caesiocinerea-2.jpg|''[[Aspicilia caesiocinerea]]'' Image:Aspicilia_cinerea-1.jpg|''[[Aspicilia cinerea]]'' Image:Aspicilia_caesiocinerea-7.jpg|Photograph of a cross section of an apothecium of ''A. caesiocinerea'' taken through a compound microscope, x 100. Note the dark olive epihymenium. Image:Aspicilia cinerea-2.jpg|Photograph of a section of an apothecium of ''A. cinerea'' taken through a compound microscope (x400) showing algae in the amphithecium of the thalline margin. (Lecanorine-type apothecium) Image:Aspicilia caesiocinerea-9.jpg|Photograph of an ascus from ''A. caesiocinerea'' taken through a compound microscope (x1000) showing 8 spores per ascus. (Spores measure approximately 15 x 11 micrometres.) </gallery>
==References== {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="CoL-Fungorum: Aspicilia">{{cite web |author=Source dataset. [[Species Fungorum]] Plus: Species Fungorum for CoL+ |title=''Aspicilia'' |url=https://www.catalogueoflife.org/?taxonKey=342N |work=[[Catalog of Life]] Version 2021-09-21 |access-date=15 October 2021}}</ref>
<ref name="Fryday et al. 2021">{{cite journal |last1=Fryday |first1=Alan M. |last2=Wheeler |first2=Timothy B. |last3=Etayo |first3=Javier |year=2021 |title=A new species of ''Aspicilia'' (Megasporaceae), with a new lichenicolous ''Sagediopsis'' (Adelococcaceae), from the Falkland Islands |journal=The Lichenologist |volume=53 |issue=4 |pages=307–315 |doi=10.1017/S0024282921000244 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
<ref name="Lee et al. 2022">{{cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=Beeyoung Gun |last2=Shin |first2=Hyun Tak |last3=Hur |first3=Jae-Seoun |title=A new lichen-forming fungus, ''Aspicilia humida'', from a forested wetland in South Korea, with a taxonomic key for aspicilioid species of Korea |journal=Mycobiology |year=2022 |volume=50 |issue=1 |doi=10.1080/12298093.2021.2021642 |pages=20–29|pmid=35291595 |pmc=8890562 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
<ref name="Schmitt 2006">{{cite journal |vauthors=Schmitt I, Yamamoto Y, Lumbsch HT |year=2006 |title=Phylogeny of Pertusariales (Ascomycotina): Resurrection of Ochrolechiaceae and new circumscription of Megasporaceae |journal=Journal of the Hattori Botanical Laboratory |volume=100 |pages=753–64}}</ref>
<ref name="Weber 1967">{{cite journal |author=Weber WA. |year=1967 |title=Environmental modification in crustose lichens. II. Fruticosa growth forms in ''Aspicilia'' |journal=Aquilo. Ser. Bot. |volume=6 |pages=43–51}}</ref>
<ref name="Wheeler et al. 2024">{{cite journal |last1=Wheeler |first1=Tim |last2=McCarthy |first2=John |last3=Owe-Larsson |first3=Björn |last4=Fryday |first4=Alan |title=Taxonomic innovations in Megasporaceae (lichenized Ascomycota, Pertusariales): ''Antidea'', a new genus for ''Aspicilia brucei''; two new species of ''Aspicilia'', and new combinations in ''Aspilidea'' and ''Lobothallia'' |journal=The Lichenologist |volume=56 |issue=5 |year=2024 |doi=10.1017/S0024282924000239 |pages=273–286}}</ref>
}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Aspicilia}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q4807987}}
[[Category:Aspicilia|*]] [[Category:Lichen genera]] [[Category:Pertusariales genera]] [[Category:Taxa named by Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo]] [[Category:Taxa described in 1852]]