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.