Schistophoron
| Schistophoron | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Graphidales |
| Family: | Graphidaceae |
| Genus: | Schistophoron Stirt. (1876) |
| Type species | |
| Schistophoron tenue Stirt. (1876)
| |
| Species | |
|
S. aurantiacum | |
Schistophoron is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Graphidaceae. It comprises five species. Established in 1876 by the Scottish naturalist James Stirton, these unusual lichens grow exclusively on the undersides of living leaves in tropical rainforests, forming thin grey-green crusts with small slit-like fruiting structures. Found across the tropics from the Americas to Africa and Southeast Asia, they serve as indicators of undisturbed forest conditions due to their sensitivity to canopy opening and changes in humidity.