Sarcopyrenia

Sarcopyrenia is a genus of lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungi. It has 11 species. It is the only genus in Sarcopyreniaceae, a family in the order Verrucariales. Sarcopyreniaceae is one of the few families composed entirely of lichenicolous fungi. These tiny fungi produce small, black, flask-shaped fruiting bodies (perithecia) typically less than half a millimetre across, containing extremely narrow, thread-like ascospores. While they initially grow on crustose lichens, their fruiting bodies often outlast their hosts and end up sitting on bare rock, making their exact relationship with lichens somewhat unclear.