Megasporaceae

Megasporaceae are a family of fungi belonging to the order Pertusariales. The family comprises about 300 species of lichen-forming fungi distributed worldwide, predominantly growing on rocks but also on soil, moss, and occasionally tree bark. Members form crust-like growths (though some have more elaborate forms) that contain green algae within their tissues, and they reproduce through disc-shaped fruiting bodies (apothecia) typically sunken into the thallus surface. The family includes eleven recognised genera, with Aspicilia being by far the largest at around 200 species. Originally established in 1994 for the single genus Megaspora, the family was later expanded through DNA studies to include several genera previously classified elsewhere, particularly those formerly grouped with Aspicilia in a broad sense.