Damien Ertz

Syncesia madagascariensis is a rare species of crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. It is found in Madagascar. This lichen forms large, continuous patches up to 15 cm across on tree bark, with a creamy surface that becomes increasingly cracked with age and distinctive flattened, disc-shaped fruiting bodies that show radiating ridge patterns. It is known only from montane forests near Ambositra at 1705 metres elevation, where it grows on tree trunks in forests dominated by myrtle family trees.

Syncesia afromontana is a rare species of lichen-forming fungus in the family Roccellaceae. It is found in Rwanda. The lichen has a byssoid (wispy, like teased wool), water-repellent thallus that is greyish to greyish-green and up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter. It contains protocetraric acid as a major metabolite, and trace amounts of roccellic acid. It is distinguished from other members of its genus by producing ascospores with seven internal divisions rather than the typical three, making it unique within the group.

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Paralecanographa is a single-species fungal genus in the family Roccellaceae. The genus was established in 2011 when genetic studies revealed that its single species does not belong where it had been previously classified and needed its own separate genus. This unusual lichen begins life as a parasite on other coastal lichens before eventually taking over and replacing its host, producing small black fruiting bodies that can appear as either tiny slits or rounded discs.

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Alyxoria varia is a widely distributed species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Lecanographaceae. Its common name, scribble lichen, refers to the form of its ascomata (fruiting bodies), which are long or short, sometimes branched, and with blackened walls and bases. The thallus of the lichen is hidden mostly within the bark itself and barely visible.

Alyxoria ochrocheila is a species of lichen in the family Lecanographaceae. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, and was formally described by William Nylander in 1865.

Tylophoron stalactiticum is a species of crustose lichen in the family Arthoniaceae. Described in 2011 from specimens collected in Tenerife in the Canary Islands, it is distinguished by its unusual growth form, with pale, cushion-like sporodochia (asexual spore-producing structures) that dangle from slender stalks resembling miniature stalactites. This rock-dwelling lichen is known only from its type locality, where it grows on the undersides of volcanic rock overhangs at mid-elevations.

Tylophoron hibernicum is a species of crustose lichen in the family Arthoniaceae. The species forms a thin, pale greyish-white crust dotted with small, rounded sporodochia that produce asexual spores. Originally described in 1979 as Blarneya hibernica based on Irish specimens, it was transferred to Tylophoron in 2011 following molecular and morphological studies that demonstrated Blarneya was nested within that genus. This bark-dwelling lichen grows on trees in humid forests and has a scattered pantropical to warm-temperate distribution, with confirmed records from Ireland, the Pyrenees, the

Tylophoron galapagoense is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Arthoniaceae. It is found in the Galápagos Islands, where it forms patches on volcanic rock in sheltered locations such as shaded overhangs and crevices. It occurs from coastal areas through dry lowland forests to the transition zone. The species is distinguished from the similar bark-dwelling Tylophoron hibernicum by its thicker, cream-to-beige thallus and its preference for drier, rock-sheltered habitats.

Sparria is a small genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Opegraphaceae.

Roccellographaceae is a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Arthoniales. It contains three genera: Dimidiographa, Fulvophyton, and Roccellographa.

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Psoronactis is a monotypic fungal genus in the family Roccellaceae. It contains the single species Psoronactis dilleniana, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen. The lichen grows as a pale grey-to-fawn crust that spreads across the face of the rock while its black, pin-head-sized fruit bodies sit flush with, or slightly above, the surface.

Pseudoschismatomma is a monotypic fungal genus in the family Roccellaceae. It contains the single species Pseudoschismatomma rufescens, a corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen. The species was originally described in 1794 but was reclassified into its own genus in 2014 following DNA analysis that revealed it was distinct from similar-looking lichens. This inconspicuous lichen forms a very thin, olive to reddish-brown crust on tree bark and is easily overlooked due to its paint-like appearance that blends closely with its substrate. It is known from temperate Europe, with confirmed

Lichenostigmatales is an order of fungi in the class Arthoniomycetes. It contains the single family Phaeococcomycetaceae. Lichenostigmatales was circumscribed in 2014 by Damien Ertz, Paul Diederich, and James D. Lawrey, with genus Lichenostigma assigned as the type. Using molecular phylogenetics, they identified a lineage of taxa in the Arthoniomycetes that were phylogenetically distinct from the order Arthoniales. Species in the Lichenostigmatales include black yeasts, lichenicolous, and melanised rock-inhabiting species. Recent estimates for the number of taxa in the family

Lecanographaceae is a family of mostly lichens (also some lichenicolous fungi) in the order Arthoniales. The family was circumscribed in 2014, prompted by a molecular phylogenetic-based restructuring of the Arthoniales.

Gyrographa is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Roccellaceae. The genus was circumscribed in 2014 by Damien Ernst and Anders Tehler, with Gyrographa gyrocarpa assigned as the type species. This lichen, originally described by Julius von Flotow in 1825, was first placed in the genus Opegrapha. Species in the genus have a crustose thallus lacking a cortex, and a dark brown prothallus. The photobiont partner is trentepholioid. The hypothecium is thick and carbonised, and the ascospores lack a gelatinous sheath; these characteristics distinguish it from Opegrapha species. The genus

Briancoppinsia is a fungal genus in the family Arthoniaceae. It is monotypic, containing the single species Briancoppinsia cytospora, a lichenicolous fungus that parasitises parmelioid lichens, as well as Cladonia, Lepra, and Lecanora conizaeoides, among others. The species was first described scientifically by Léon Vouaux in 1914 as Phyllosticta cytospora. Its morphology is reminiscent of Phoma cytospora, a lichenicolous coelomycete found on several genera of lichens. However, B. cytospora has several distinct characters, both anatomical, chemical and within DNA sequence that characterised

Alyxoria viridipruinosa is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) and lignicolous (wood-dwelling) lichen in the family Lecanographaceae. It is found in Europe, where it grows on hardwood trees.

Alyxoria culmigena is a species of script lichen in the family Lecanographaceae. The species forms a very thin, often barely visible greyish or brownish film on bark, with narrow dark fruiting bodies that appear as short script-like lines scattered across the surface. It grows mainly on smooth bark of shrubs and trees in sheltered, humid locations such as coastal hedgerows, and is characteristic of mild lowland climates with warm winters. The lichen is widely distributed in western and southern Europe and has also been recorded from tropical oceanic islands including the Caribbean and the

Vigneronia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Roccellaceae. It comprises five species. Vigneronia lichens form thin, smooth crusts on bark or rock and are recognized by their distinctive black, wavy, slit-like fruiting bodies that erupt through the surface. The genus was established in 2014 by Damien Ertz and is named after his wife Nathalie Vigneron, who accompanied him on collecting expeditions in the Caribbean.

Sporodophoron is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Arthoniaceae. It includes four corticolous (bark-dwelling) crustose lichen species. Sporodophoron is uniquely characterised by the formation of fruiting structures called sporodochia, which are open conidiomata in the form of tufts of conidiophores on the thallus. Although these lichens bear a strong resemblance to Inoderma, another genus within the same family, Sporodophoron's distinct chemical makeup sets it apart from its lichen relatives. Collectively, the genus has a widespread geographical distribution in the Northern

Savoronala is a fungal genus in the family Malmideaceae. It is monotypic, containing the single species Savoronala madagascariensis. This lichen produces unique conidia (asexual spores) that each include a single algal cell.

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Polycoccaceae is a family of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungi in the order Trypetheliales. The family was circumscribed in 2015 by Damien Ertz, Josef Hafellner, and Paul Diederich. Molecular phylogenetic analysis shows Polycoccaceae to have a sister relationship with the family Trypetheliaceae. Species within the Polycoccaceae distinguish themselves from those in the Trypetheliaceae due to their non-lichenized, lichenicolous nature and typically smaller, 1-septate, brown ascospores. However, both share similarities, such as perithecioid ascomata, intertwined paraphysoids set within a

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