Toninia

{{Short description|Genus of lichens}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Use Oxford spelling|date=October 2025}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = ToninToninia tristis ssp. tristis - Flickr - pellaea.jpg | image_caption = ''Toninia tristis'' | taxon = Toninia | authority = A.Massal. (1852) | type_species = ''Toninia cinereovirens'' | type_species_authority = (Schaer.) A.Massal. (1852) | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text | synonyms_ref = <ref name="Species Fungorum synonymy"/> | synonyms = {{Collapsible list |*''Arthrosporum'' {{au|A.Massal. (1853)}} |*''Bacillina'' {{au|Nyl. (1897)}} |*''Diphloeis'' {{au|Clem. (1909)}} |*''Diplosis'' {{au|Clem. (1909)}} |*''Kiliasia'' {{au|Hafellner (1984)}} |*''Leptographa'' {{au|Jatta (1892)}} |*''Lobiona'' {{au|H.Kilias & Gotth.Schneid. (1978)}} |*''Psora'' {{au|Link (1833)}} |*''Scolecites'' {{au|Stizenb. (1862)}} |*''Skolekites'' {{au|Norman (1852)}} |*''Syncomista'' {{au|Nieuwl. (1916)}} |*''Thalloedematomyces'' {{au|E.A.Thomas ex Cif. & Tomas. (1953)}} }} }}

'''''Toninia''''' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Ramalinaceae.<ref name="Wijayawardene et al. 2022"/> The genus contains about 70 recognised species that are distributed worldwide, with many found in arctic and alpine environments as well as arid regions. These lichens are characterised by their often reduced or scale-like thalli and distinctive black apothecia (fruiting bodies) that typically become convex with age and contain needle-shaped ascospores. ''Toninia'' species primarily grow on soil, rocks, and other mineral substrates, and are distinguished from related genera by their spore-producing structures and chemical reactions to standard lichen identification tests.

==Taxonomy==

The genus was circumscribed by the Italian lichenologist Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo in 1852, with ''Toninia cinereovirens'' assigned as the type species. In his original Latin description, Massalongo established the new genus to accommodate lichens with distinctive characteristics that set them apart from related groups. He described ''Toninia'' as having solid, flattened fruiting bodies with a distinctive rim around the edge, and a {{lichengloss|disc}} that opens from an initially narrow opening to become wider and more exposed. The thallus (lichen body) was noted to be crusty and scaly, often growing in overlapping patches or forming distinct {{lichengloss|lobes}}. Massalongo distinguished his new genus from similar groups like ''Lecidea'' and ''Baeomyces'', noting that while ''Toninia'' species might resemble some members of these genera, they have unique structural features that warranted separate classification.<ref name="Massalongo 1852"/> The genus name honours Carlo Tonini (1920–1982), whom Massalongo described as a celebrated chemist and distinguished cultivator of lichenology.<ref name="Hertel 2012"/>

==Description==

The thallus (the main lichen body) of ''Toninia'' is often reduced or even absent; when present it is usually {{lichengloss|squamulose}}, meaning it is made up of small, scale-like pieces that can proliferate and merge into an almost continuous crust. In some species the surface becomes nodular or {{lichengloss|granular}}. The upper {{lichengloss|cortex}} (the protective skin) ranges from poorly to well developed and may carry a thin {{lichengloss|epinecral layer}} (a film of dead, compacted cells); it lacks surface crystals and shows no fissures or pseudocyphellae (tiny breaks in the cortex that look like pores). A lower cortex is weak or missing. The green-algal partner is {{lichengloss|chlorococcoid}}; that is, it consists of simple, spherical green cells, arranged either in a continuous band beneath the cortex or in scattered patches. The medulla (internal white tissue) typically lacks crystals.<ref name="Cannon et al. 2023"/>

Fruiting bodies are apothecia (open discs) that are black and not {{lichengloss|pruinose}} (they do not carry a pale, dusty bloom). They are usually flat when young but commonly become convex with age. A {{lichengloss|thalline margin}} (a rim made from the thallus) is lacking. Instead, the apothecium has a {{lichengloss|true exciple}} (a structural rim of fungal tissue) that is initially raised and clear-cut but is often overgrown and excluded later. Microscopically, this exciple is built from radiating, thick-walled, glue-bound hyphae whose cell cavities are rounded to narrowly cylindrical; the inner part is colourless, while the outer edge is dark brown (sometimes with a greenish cast). These tissues lack crystals and have characteristic reactions to standard chemical spot tests: K (potassium hydroxide) negative; N (nitric acid) negative or, more typically, N+ (violet) owing to a pigment sometimes termed "Bagliettoana-green". The {{lichengloss|epithecium}} (the film over the spore-bearing layer) is usually olive to green, rarely brown or colourless, also without crystals, K– and usually N+ violet. The hymenium (spore-bearing layer) turns I+ (blue) with iodine, whereas the {{lichengloss|hypothecium}} (the tissue below) is colourless to dark brown and contains no crystals. The {{lichengloss|hamathecium}} consists of straight paraphyses (sterile threads) that are unbranched or only sparsely branched and sometimes interlinked; they are not cemented together and have thin walls, with the tip cell distinctly swollen and capped by a gelatinous pigment dome.<ref name="Cannon et al. 2023"/> thumb|right|Acicular (needle-shaped) ascospores of ''Toninia alutacea'' The asci are of the ''Bacidia''-type: club-shaped, eight-spored, and sheathed in a gelatinous wall that becomes K/I+ blue (a potassium hydroxide pre-treatment followed by iodine). Each ascus has a well-developed, iodine-positive {{lichengloss|tholus}} with a darker-staining central tube and a pronounced {{lichengloss|ocular chamber}} (a clear area at the apex involved in spore release). Ascospores are colourless and smooth, ranging from non-septate to 7-septate; shapes vary from ellipsoidal to narrowly spindle-shaped ({{lichengloss|fusiform}}) or needle-like ({{lichengloss|acicular}}). Asexual structures (conidiomata) are pycnidia that appear black and are immersed to slightly protruding; they produce conidia that are rod-shaped to thread-like. In terms of chemistry, the genus is generally poor in distinctive secondary metabolites: at least one species has been reported with terpenoids, and there are occasional reports of stictic acid and/or xanthones in two taxa that likely do not belong in ''Toninia'' and may require exclusion.<ref name="Cannon et al. 2023"/>

==Species== {{div col}} *''Toninia afferens'' {{au|(Nyl.) Kotlov (2004)}}<ref name="Kotlov 2004"/> *''Toninia alutacea'' {{au|(Anzi) Jatta (1911)}}<ref name="Jatta 1911"/> *''Toninia arenaria'' {{au|Räsänen (1944)}}<ref name="Räsänen 1944"/> *''Toninia australiensis'' {{au|(Müll.Arg.) Zahlbr. (1926)}} *''Toninia canadensis'' {{au|(Timdal) Timdal (2024)}}<ref name="Timdal & Rui 2024"/> *''Toninia cinereovirens'' {{au|(Schaer.) A.Massal. (1852)}} *''Toninia coahuilae'' {{au|(Timdal) Timdal (2024)}}<ref name="Timdal & Rui 2024"/> *''Toninia conjungens'' {{au|Th.Fr. (1867)}}<ref name="Fries 1867"/> *''Toninia coquimbensis'' {{au|(Zahlbr.) Kotlov (2004)}}<ref name="Kotlov 2004"/> *''Toninia corallina'' {{au|Timdal (1991)}}<ref name="Timdal 1991"/> *''Toninia cretzoiui'' {{au|B.de Lesd. (1937)}} *''Toninia diffracta'' {{au|(A.Massal.) Zahlbr. (1901)}}<ref name="Zahlbruckner 1901"/> *''Toninia efferens'' {{au|(Nyl.) Kotlov (2004)}} *''Toninia flavida'' {{au|Tomin (1950)}} *''Toninia fujikawae'' {{au|(M.Satô) Timdal (2024)}} *''Toninia gigantea'' {{au|(Timdal) Timdal (2024)}} *''Toninia groenlandica'' {{au|Lynge (1937)}} *''Toninia guaranitica'' {{au|Malme (1937)}} *''Toninia hercegovinica'' {{au|Zahlbr. (1908)}} *''Toninia heterochroma'' {{au|I.M.Lamb (1939)}} *''Toninia himalayana'' {{au|Timdal (1991)}} *''Toninia isidiata'' {{au|Malme (1937)}} *''Toninia janeirensis'' {{au|Riddle (1912)}} *''Toninia johnstonii'' {{au|C.W.Dodge (1948)}} *''Toninia kerguelensis'' {{au|C.W.Dodge (1948)}} *''Toninia leucina'' {{au|(Müll.Arg.) Zahlbr. (1926)}} *''Toninia lobothalliae'' {{au|Y.Joshi (2022)}} *''Toninia loitlesbergeri'' {{au|Zahlbr. (1904)}} *''Toninia melanocarpizans'' {{au|Zahlbr. (1918)}} *''Toninia meridionalis'' {{au|B.de Lesd. (1923)}} *''Toninia mesoidea'' {{au|(Nyl.) Zahlbr. (1926)}} *''Toninia mexicana'' {{au|B.de Lesd. (1909)}} *''Toninia muricola'' {{au|B.de Lesd. (1948)}} *''Toninia nashii'' {{au|Timdal (2002)}} *''Toninia ochracea'' {{au|Werner (1937)}} *''Toninia olivaceoatra'' {{au|H.Magn. (1944)}} *''Toninia pakistanica'' {{au|M.S.Iqbal & Khalid (2023)}} *''Toninia plumbina'' {{au|(Anzi) Hafellner & Timdal (1991)}}<ref name="Timdal 1991"/> *''Toninia poeltiana'' {{au|S.Y.Kondr., Lőkös & Hur (2016)}} *''Toninia poeltii'' {{au|Timdal (1991)}} *''Toninia populorum'' {{au|(A.Massal.) Kistenich, Timdal, Bendiksby & S.Ekman (2018)}} *''Toninia potieri'' {{au|Maheu & Werner (1934)}} *''Toninia pseudotabacina'' {{au|(Timdal) Timdal (2024)}} *''Toninia pulvinata'' {{au|(Mudd) H.Olivier (1911)}} *''Toninia sbarbaronis'' {{au|B.de Lesd. (1935)}} *''Toninia schafeevii'' {{au|Tomin (1950)}} *''Toninia scholanderi'' {{au|(Lynge) Timdal (2024)}} *''Toninia scorigena'' {{au|(Müll.Arg.) Lumbsch & Messuti (1999)}} *''Toninia squalescens'' {{au|(Nyl.) Th.Fr. (1874)}} *''Toninia squalida'' {{au|(Ach.) A.Massal. (1852)}} *''Toninia subcandida'' {{au|B.de Lesd. (1906)}} *''Toninia subdispersa'' {{au|(Nyl.) K.Knudsen (2007)}} *''Toninia subfuscae'' {{au|(Arnold ex Zwackh) Timdal (1991)}}<ref name="Timdal 1991"/> *''Toninia submesoidea'' {{au|van den Boom (2017)}} *''Toninia subnitida'' {{au|(Hellb.) Hafellner & Türk (2001)}} *''Toninia subpersonata'' {{au|Malme (1937)}} *''Toninia subtalparum'' {{au|van den Boom (2004)}} *''Toninia talparum'' {{au|Timdal (1991)}} *''Toninia tecta'' {{au|C.A.Morse & Ladd (2018)}} *''Toninia thalloedaemiformis'' {{au|(Szatala) Timdal (2024)}} *''Toninia thiopsora'' {{au|(Nyl.) H.Olivier (1911)}} *''Toninia tristis'' {{au|(Th.Fr.) Th.Fr. (1874)}} *''Toninia ualae'' {{au|Etayo (2008)}} *''Toninia verrucariae'' {{au|(Nyl.) Timdal (1992)}} *''Toninia violacea'' {{au|B.de Lesd. (1910)}} *''Toninia wetmorei'' {{au|Timdal (2002)}} {{div col end}}

==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=

<ref name="Cannon et al. 2023">{{cite book |last1=Cannon |first1=P. |last2=Ekman |first2=S. |last3=Kistenich |first3=S. |last4=LaGreca |first4=S. |last5=Printzen |first5=C. |last6=Timdal |first6=E. |last7=Aptroot |first7=A. |last8=Coppins |first8=B. |last9=Fletcher |first9=A. |last10=Sanderson |first10=N. |last11=Simkin |first11=J. |year=2023 |title=Lecanorales: Ramalinaceae [revision 1], including the genera ''Bacidia'', ''Bacidina'', ''Bellicidia'', ''Biatora'', ''Bibbya'', ''Bilimbia'', ''Cliostomum'', ''Kiliasia'', ''Lecania'', ''Megalaria'', ''Mycobilimbia'', ''Phyllopsora'', ''Ramalina'', ''Scutula'', ''Thalloidima'', ''Toninia'', ''Toniniopsis'' and ''Tylothallia'' |series=Revisions of British and Irish Lichens |volume=35 |pages=66–67 |url=https://britishlichensociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/Ramalinaceae%20rev%201a_0.pdf}} {{OA}}</ref>

<ref name="Fries 1867">{{cite journal |last=Fries |first=T.M. |year=1867 |title=Lichenes Spitsbergenses |trans-title=Lichens of Spitsbergen |journal=Kongliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlinger |series=2 |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=3–53 [34] |language=la}}</ref>

<ref name="Jatta 1911">{{cite book |last=Jatta |first=A. |year=1911 |title=Lichenes. Flora Italica Cryptogama Fungi |volume=3 |pages=461–958 [655]}}</ref>

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<ref name="Species Fungorum synonymy">{{cite web |title=Synonymy: ''Toninia'' A. Massal., Ric. auton. lich. crost. (Verona): 107 (1852) |url=http://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/SynSpecies.asp?RecordID=5495 |publisher=Species Fungorum |access-date=8 May 2022}}</ref>

<ref name="Timdal 1991">{{cite journal |last=Timdal |first=E. |year=1991 |title=A monograph of the genus ''Toninia'' (Lecideaceae, Ascomycetes) |journal=Opera Botanica |volume=110 |pages=1–137}}</ref>

<ref name="Timdal & Rui 2024">{{cite journal |last1=Timdal |first1=E. |last2=Rui |first2=S. |year=2024 |title=Contributions to the lichen flora of the province of Alberta, Canada, with the description of two new species and revised status for the subspecies of ''Toninia tristis'' |journal=Opuscula Philolichenum |volume=23 |pages=33–81 [69]}}</ref>

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<ref name="Zahlbruckner 1901">{{cite journal |last=Zahlbruckner |first=A. |year=1901 |title=Vorarbeiten zu einer Flechtenflora Dalmatiens |trans-title=Preliminary work towards a lichen flora of Dalmatia |journal=Österreichische Botanische Zeitschrift |volume=51 |issue=8 |pages=273–285 |doi=10.1007/BF01790809 |bibcode=1901PSyEv..51..273Z |language=de}}</ref>

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Category:Ramalinaceae Category:Lichen genera Category:Lecanorales genera Category:Taxa described in 1852 Category:Taxa named by Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo