Lawrey Lab

Current Research Projects - Basidiolichens:

Lichenization is rare in the Basidiomycota. Only seven genera and around 50 species (<1% of all lichens) form genuine lichens. Lichens are widely dispersed among phylogenetically unrelated groups and produce clavarioid, agaricoid (pileate), cyphelloid, stereoid, and corticioid (resupinate) basidiocarps, as well as crustose, squamulose and foliose lichen thalli.

Clades in the Basidiomycota containing lichens otherwise exhibit a wide range of saprotrophic, pathogenic, mycorrhizal, and lichenicolous forms, with no clear indication of the pathway that led to a lichenized state.

Lichens are found in six distinct clades of the Basidiomycota:

Cantharellales:  Multiclavula

Hymenochaetales:  Schizopora, Resinicium (both weakly lichenized)

Corticiales:  Marchandiomphalina foliacea

Atheliales:  Athelia

Lepidostromatales: Lepidostroma

Agaricales:  Acantholichen, Dictyonema, Lichenomphalia, Cora, Corella, Cyphellostereum

Cora sp.	Dictyonema sericeum (crustose)
Lichenomphalia hudsoniana	Lepidostroma calocerum