Pseudocyphella

{{Short description|Terminology in lichen morphology}} [[File:Pseudocyphellaria5.jpg|thumb|250px|Yellow pseudocyphellea on the underside of a species of ''Pseudocyphellaria'' in Patagonia]] '''Pseudocyphellae''' (singular ''pseudocyphella'') are structures in [[lichen]]s that appear as tiny pores on the outer surface (the [[cortex (botany)|cortex]]) of the lichen. They are caused when there is a break in the cortex of the lichen, and the medullary [[hypha]]e extend to the surface. Pseudocyphellae are the same colour as the [[Medulla (lichenology)|medulla]] of the lichen, which is generally white, but can be yellow in some species of ''[[Pseudocyphellaria]]'' and in ''[[Bryoria fremontii]]''. The presence/absence, abundance, colour, and shape of pseudocyphellae can all be diagnostic features used to identify different species. They facilitate [[gas exchange]] through the surface of the lichen, and may provide an adaptive advantage in [[temperate]] environments.<ref>{{cite journal |authorlink=Mason Hale |last=Hale |first=Mason E. |title=Pseudocyphellae and pored epicortex in the Parmeliaceae: Their delimitation and evolutionary significance |journal=The Lichenologist |volume=13 |issue=1 |year=1981 |pages=1–10 |doi=10.1017/S0024282981000030|s2cid=86327477 }}</ref>

[[File:Cetrelia_cetrarioides-1.jpg|thumb|250px|White pseudocyphellae on the upper surface of a lobe of ''Cetrelia cetrarioides'']] ==References== *Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. Lichens of North America. Yale University Press: New Haven. {{reflist}}

[[Category:Lichens]] [[Category:Fungal morphology and anatomy]]