Crocynia is a genusoflichen-forming fungi in the family Ramalinaceae.[2] It has five species.[3] The genus is currently in taxonomic limbo because molecular studies have shown that Crocynia, which has nomenclatural priority over Phyllopsora, is phylogenetically nested within Phyllopsora. This has led to a proposal to conserve the name Phyllopsora over Crocynia to ensure nomenclatural stability and avoid taxonomic disarray.
Phyllopsora was described by Johannes Müller Argoviensis in 1894 to accommodate several species from New Zealand. Over time, it has become recognised as a pantropical genus, mainly occurring in moist woodlands and rainforests. The genus comprises nearly 60 species, including those indicating the types of three genera that have priority over Phyllopsora: Triclinum (1825), Symplocia (1854), and Crocynia (1860).[6]
Recent molecular studies have shown that Crocynia is phylogenetically nested within the genus Phyllopsora. This has led to a proposal to conserve the name Phyllopsora over Crocynia and other competing names to ensure nomenclatural stability. According to the authors of the 2019 proposal, the conservation of Phyllopsora against Crocynia and Triclinum is favoured to avoid taxonomic disarray, given that the type material for many Crocynia species has been lost, and the historical inclusion of distantly related species has caused confusion.[6]
Crocynia gossypina is a pantropical lichen species characterised by its byssoid (cottony) thallus, which lacks an upper cortex, making it distinctive. However, many species historically placed in Crocynia have been reassigned to other genera, such as Lepraria. The genus name Phyllopsora is widely known and used among lichenologists, particularly those working with tropical material, making it a practical choice for conservation.[6]
If the proposal is accepted, the genus Crocynia will be synonymised under Phyllopsora, reflecting current phylogenetic understanding and simplifying the classification of these lichens. This change will also help maintain continuity in the scientific literature and avoid the need for extensive renaming of species.[6]
^Acharius, E. (1810). Lichenographia Universalis (in Latin). Gottingen: Justus Friedrich Danckwerts. p. 217.
^Massalongo, A.B. (1860). "Esame comparativo di alcune genere di licheni" [Comparative examination of some genera of lichens]. Atti dell'Istituto Veneto Scienze. 5: 247–276.
^ abcdeKistenich, Sonja; Ekman, Stefan; Bendiksby, Mika; Timdal, Einar (2019). "(2687) Proposal to conserve the name Phyllopsora against Triclinum and Crocynia (Ramalinaceae, lichenized Ascomycota)". Taxon. 68 (3): 590–592. doi:10.1002/tax.12075.
^Sipman, H.J.M. (2018). "Three new lichen species and 48 new records from Vanuatu". Australasian Lichenology. 82: 106–129.
^Hue, A. (1924). "Monographia Crocyniarum". Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France. 71 (2): 311–402. doi:10.1080/00378941.1924.10836944.
^Kondratyuk, S.Y.; Elix, J.A.; Kärnefelt, I.; Thell, A. (2011). "New Caloplaca species with depsidones from Australia". Bibliotheca Lichenologica. 106: 179–186.
^Aptroot, A. (2014). "Two new genera of Arthoniales from New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, with the description of eight further species". The Bryologist. 117 (3): 282–289. doi:10.1639/0007-2745-117.3.282.
