Abrothallus
Introduction '''''Abrothallus''''' is a genus of lichenicolous fungi. It is the only genus in the monotypic family '''Abrothallaceae''', which itself is the sole taxon in the order '''Abrothallales'''.
Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed by Italian botanist Giuseppe De Notaris in 1849.The classification of the genus in either family or order was uncertain until molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed the group as an independent lineage in the class Dothideomycetes. Both the family and the order were circumscribed in 2013 by Sergio Pérez-Ortega and Ave Suija.In 2012 Mikhail Zhurbenko proposed the genus ''Epinephroma'' to contain ''E. kamchatica''; later analysis showed it to be the anamorph of an ''Abrothallus'' species, and now ''Epinephroma'' is placed in synonymy with ''Abrothallus''. Other synonyms are ''Abrothallomyces'', ''Phymatopsis'', and ''Pseudo-lecidea''.
Description There are several morphological characteristics help define the genus ''Abrothallus''. These include: spherical (or nearly so) ascomata without a margin or well-defined edge that are sometimes dusted with golden or green pruina; bitunicate asci (i.e., with two functional ascal wall layers) that have four to eight ascospores; brown, 2- to 4-celled, warted asymmetric ascospores; paraphyses that are ramified-anastomosed; and the presence of an epihymenium (the uppermost layer of the hymenium) with granulose pigments that often dissolve in potassium hydroxide.
Species ''Abrothallus welwitschii'' growing on ''Sticta limbata'' in Portugal*''Abrothallus acetabuli''  – parasitic on ''Parmelia acetabulum''; from Europe*''Abrothallus boomii'' *''Abrothallus brattii'' *''Abrothallus bryoriarum'' *''Abrothallus caerulescens'' *''Abrothallus canariensis'' *''Abrothallus cetrariae'' *''Abrothallus cladoniae'' *''Abrothallus curreyi''  – New Zealand*''Abrothallus doliiformis'' *''Abrothallus eriodermae'' *''Abrothallus ertzii'' *''Abrothallus etayoi'' *''Abrothallus granulatae''  – parasitic on ''Pseudocyphellaria granulata''; from Argentina*''Abrothallus halei''  – parasitic on ''Lobaria quercizans'' and ''L. pulmonaria''; from Europe and North America*''Abrothallus heterodermiicola'' *''Abrothallus hypotrachynae'' *''Abrothallus kamchatica'' *''Abrothallus lobariae'' *''Abrothallus macrosporus''  – South America*''Abrothallus microspermus'' *''Abrothallus nephromatis'' *''Abrothallus niger''  – Ecuador*''Abrothallus parmeliarum'' *''Abrothallus parmotrematis'' *''Abrothallus peyritschii'' *''Abrothallus pezizicola'' *''Abrothallus prodiens'' *''Abrothallus prodiens'' *''Abrothallus prodiens'' *''Abrothallus psoromatis'' *''Abrothallus puntilloi'' *''Abrothallus ramalinae''  – Seychelles*''Abrothallus santessonii'' *''Abrothallus secedens''  – commensalistic on species of ''Pseudocyphellaria''; from Argentina and Kenya*''Abrothallus stereocaulorum'' *''Abrothallus stictarum''  – Colombia*''Abrothallus stroblii'' *''Abrothallus subhalei'' *''Abrothallus suecicus'' *''Abrothallus teloschistis'' *''Abrothallus tulasnei''  – parasitic on ''Xanthoparmelia somloensis''; from Canada*''Abrothallus usneae'' *''Abrothallus welwitschii''
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