PART 1

The family is defined here more narrowly than generally used in the last decade. The mechanics of this
are discussed under Arthopyrenia and see also Naetrocymbaceae. Jarxia, Leptorhaphis and Naetrocymbe
(Arthopyrenia rhyponta-punctiformis group) are removed to the Naetrocymbaceae. The restricted family is
held together by clypeate ascomata, ascomatal wall KOH+ dark green [in the three species (incl. A. lapponina)
studied by Foucard (1992); I have not assessed this character], pseudoparaphyses (cellular
pseudoparaphyses), asci in a basal layer, asci fissitunicate, cylindrical to clavate with an apical nasse,
ascospores colorless or brown, often granular ornamented, septum or initial septum submedian, 2-celled to
muriform, pycnidia with rod shaped to filiform microconidia, occasionally associated with Trentepohlia, growing
on bark, less commonly old wood and highest diversity in the tropics. The physes are often long and slender
(easily distinguished from the sparse, coarse physes of the Naetrocymbaceae) and easily confused with
paraphysoids (trabecular pseudoparaphyses) suggestive of the Melanommatales but they clearly taper from
broad anastomosing bases. The cylindrical to clavate, stipitate asci (markedly obovate and nearly estipitate in
Naetrocymbaceae) to some extent also suggest Melanommatales but the apical nasse would seem be
anomalous in that order. Placement in the Pleosporales is also supported by the basal (rather than peripheral)
origin of the asci. It does not seem unreasonable to include Julella in Arthopyrenia but more study is needed
as there are no really clear intermediates and there are unresolved generic problems within Julella. I do not
consider the vast majority of the family to be lichenized but a few, e.g., Arthopyrenia lyrata, seem consistently
associated with Trentepohlia and perhaps continued treatment by lichenists is not inappropriate.
1. Ascospores colorless ................................................................................................................................ 2
2. Ascospores 2-4-celled.......................................................................................................Arthopyrenia
2. Ascospores submuriform to muriform..........................................................................................Julella
1. Ascospores brown, 2-celled to submuriform, usually granular ornamented ..................Mycomicrothelia
ARTHOPYRENIA Massal.
Ric. auton. lic. crost. 165. 1852. Lectotype (Fink, 1910). Arthopyrenia analepta (Ach.) Massal.
≡ Leiophloea (Ach.) S. Gray, Nat. arr. Brit. pl. 1: 495. 1821. Verrucaria*Leiophloea Ach., Methodus
Suppl. 24. 1803. Lectotype (Riedl, 1962). L. analepta (Ach.) S. Gray
≡ Pyrenyllium Clements, Genera fungi 41, 173. 1909. Holotype. P. analeptum (Ach.) Clements
Cifferiolichen Tomaselli in Tomaselli & Ciferri, Arch. Bot. (Forlì) 28: 4. 1952. ≡ Mycocifferia Tomaselli in
Ciferri & Tomaselli, Ist. Bot. Reale Univ. Reale Lab. Crittog. Pavia Atti, ser. 5, 10: 28, 56. 1953. Holotype.
Arthopyrenia lapponina Anzi (= A. analepta).
In my unpublished thesis I made three major mistakes regarding Arthopyrenia, 1) Not splitting out the
taxa here referred to Naetrocymbe (I came close, see Harris, 1975: 39), 2) Interpreting Lichen analeptus Ach.
as illegitimate, 3) Accepting Riedl's lectotypification (If it is maintained, the nomenclatural changes consequent
to the division of Arthopyrenia are distinctly unpleasant. Cifferiolichen is the next available name for the A.
lapponina group.). As regards the first, I placed too much emphasis on microconidia. Arthopyrenia fraxini
Massal. has the longer rod-shaped microconidia typical of A. analepta and I thought it represented a link
between the two genera. It does not. All the other characters are typical for Naetrocymbe. The microconidia
are anomalous. (With 20 years of retrospect the ascus and hamathecium characters seem extremely strong
and necessitate the recognition of two families as is done in this work.) This division of the genus reopens the
can of worms involved in typifying Arthopyrenia. Lichen analeptus is not illegitimate even though Acharius cited
Verrucaria olivacea Pers. in synonymy since the name Lichen olivaceus (Melanelia olivacea (L.) Essl.) had
already been used in the genus Lichen in the Lichenographiae sueciae prodromus. This makes possible the
acceptance of Fink's typification of the genus. In 1975 I accepted Rield's choice of A. rhyponta (Ach.) Massal.
as a temporary expedient, thinking that I would change it as soon as possible and believing that no one else
would seriously endorse such an atypical species as the generitype. I erred grievously on both counts. In
1994 I was finally able to study the relevant Acharian material in Helsinki. When I discovered that a specimen
of the taxon currently known as A. lapponina was the obvious lectotype for A. analepta, the way was cleared to
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