Thrombium
| Thrombium | |
|---|---|
| Thrombium epigaeum | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Baeomycetales |
| Family: | Protothelenellaceae |
| Genus: | Thrombium Wallr. (1831) |
| Type species | |
| Thrombium epigaeum | |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
Thrombium is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Protothelenellaceae. The genus was established in 1831 by the German lichenologist Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Wallroth, who originally described numerous species under this name. Thrombium species are characterized by their extremely thin, often barely visible crusty thalli and tiny black fruiting bodies embedded in the substrate. These lichens grow on soil, rocks, mosses, and plant debris in various habitats around the world. The genus has undergone significant taxonomic revision over the years, with DNA studies confirming its placement in Protothelenellaceae and clarifying that some species historically assigned to Thrombium actually belong to other genera.