Trebouxia decolorans
| Trebouxia decolorans | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| (unranked): | Viridiplantae |
| Division: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | Trebouxiophyceae |
| Order: | Trebouxiales |
| Family: | Trebouxiaceae |
| Genus: | Trebouxia |
| Species: | T. decolorans
|
| Binomial name | |
| Trebouxia decolorans Ahmadjian , 1960 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Trebouxia decolorans is a widespread and common symbiotic species of
Taxonomy
The alga was described as a new species in 1960 by lichenologist Vernon Ahmadjian. He collected the type specimens from lichens collected on bark from West Boylston, and on stone from Middleborough (both locations in Massachusetts). The same algal species was later isolated from fruticose Xanthoria parietina and the crustose Amandinea punctata. The species epithet decolorans refers of the tendency of the alga to lose color when exposed to light.[3] A set of microsatellite markers has been developed for use in high-resolution population studies of this common photobiont.[4]
Description
The typical vegetative cells of Trebouxia decolorans are mostly spherical, although older cells can take on an ellipsoidal or irregular shape. These mature cells generally range from 19.0 by 19.0 μm to 25.5 by 25.5 μm in size, with some reaching up to 30 μm in diameter. Notably, individual cells of this species do not possess a distinct gelatinous sheath. The internal structure, or chromatophore, remains fairly smooth without deep indentations. Moreover, during cell division, the chromatophore does not move to a wall-adjacent position.[3]
When grown in
Ahmadjian noted that the algal specimens from both Amandinea punctata and Xanthoria parietina were identical both
Distribution
Trebouxia decolorans has a widespread distribution. It has been documented as the photobiont for Ramalina menziesii in California,[5] Xanthoria parietina in Europe,[6] and Gallowayella hasseana in western North America. Other known lichen associations include Candelaria concolor, Massjukiella tenax, Physcia adscenden, Ramalina farinacea, R. menziesii, and R. leptocarpha.[5]