Cryptophaea

Cryptophaea is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Arthoniaceae. Initially described as a monotypic genus in 2016 with the type species, C. phaeospora, from the Congo Basin, it was expanded in 2024 to include four species of crustose lichens found in Brazil. Cryptophaea species are characterised by their firmly attached thalli, which are typically whitish grey-green and hydrophobic. The genus has diverse morphological features, including pseudoisidia and soredia in some species. Cryptophaea lichens are corticolous, growing on tree bark in various tropical forest ecosystems, from near sea level to elevations over 1000 metres. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies have revealed complex relationships between Cryptophaea and other genera within Arthoniaceae, suggesting potential taxonomic revisions may be necessary as more data becomes available....read more on Wikipedia.