Astrothelium
| Astrothelium | |
|---|---|
| Astrothelium aeneum found in Florida | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Dothideomycetes |
| Order: | Trypetheliales |
| Family: | Trypetheliaceae |
| Genus: | Astrothelium Eschw. (1824) |
| Type species | |
| Astrothelium conicum Eschw. (1824)
| |
| Synonyms | |
Astrothelium is a large genus of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichens in the family Trypetheliaceae. The genus is characterized by a corticate thallus and diverse ascomata structures, which can be simple, aggregated, or forming pseudostromata. Astrothelium is also notable for the carbonized walls of its ascomata, the so-called textura intricata (i.e., tightly interwoven) arrangement of cells in these walls, and various forms of distoseptate, transparent spores.