Pyrrhospora

Pyrrhospora is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Lecanoraceae. The genus was established in 1855 by the German lichenologist Gustav Wilhelm Körber, who named it after the distinctive reddish-brown colour of the spores, combining Greek words meaning 'reddish-brown' and 'spore'. These lichens form thin crusty films on rocks and tree bark, producing button-shaped fruiting bodies that start reddish-brown and turn almost black with age. The genus contains eight species and is distinguished by its unique spore colouration and chemical compounds including anthraquinone pigments that give the characteristic reddish tinge.