Ectolechiaceae
| Ectolechiaceae | |
|---|---|
| Byssoloma leucoblepharum; scale bar is 0.5 mm | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecanorales |
| Family: | Ectolechiaceae Zahlbr. (1905) |
| Type genus | |
| Ectolechia Trevis. (1852)
| |
| Synonyms | |
The Ectolechiaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Lecanorales. The species of this family have a cosmopolitan distribution and have been found in a variety of climatic regions. The family was first described by Alexander Zahlbruckner in 1905, originally for a group of tropical, leaf-dwelling lichens. Its scope has since expanded considerably, and the family now encompasses both tropical genera such as Byssoloma and Calopadia and the large, predominantly temperate-to-arctic genus Micarea. As of 2026, the family contains more than 30 genera and an estimated 470 species.