Dirinaria applanata

Dirinaria applanata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Caliciaceae.^[2] It has a wide distribution in tropical and subtropical areas of the world.

Dirinaria applanata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Lecanoromycetes
Order:	Caliciales
Family:	Caliciaceae
Genus:	Dirinaria
Species:	D. applanata
Binomial name
Dirinaria applanata (Fée) D.D.Awasthi (1970)
Synonyms[1]
Parmelia applanata Fée (1825) Anaptychia applanata (Fée) A.Massal. (1853) Physcia applanata (Fée) Nyl. (1858) Lecanora flavostraminea (Müll.Arg.) Zahlbr. (1928) Placodium flavostramineum Müll.Arg. (1895) Parmelia redacta Stirt. (1900) Dirinaria consimilis var. ochracea D.D.Awasthi (1975)

Taxonomy

The lichen was formally described as a new species, Parmelia applanata, by Antoine Laurent Apollinaire Fée in 1825.^[3] Dharani Dhar Awasthi transferred it to the Dirinaria in 1970.^[4]

Chemistry

Chemical analysis of Dirinaria applanata lead to the discovery of nine unique compounds. This includes a novel hopane derivative known as 1β-acetoxy-21α-hopane-3β,22-diol. Alongside this, researchers have identified six phenolic compounds: divaricatinic acid, methyl divaricatinate, methyl-β-orcinolcarboxylate, methyl haematommate, divarinol, and ramalinic acid A. Additionally, two xanthones, namely lichexanthone and 4,5-dichlorolichexanthone, were also isolated.^[5]

Species interactions

A fungus newly described in 2023, Cylindromonium dirinariae, was reported as a lichenicolous fungus with Dirinaria applanata as its host. This nectrioid fungus forms a pinkish colony with mainly solitary phialides producing ellipsoid, aseptate conidia in mucoid packets.^[6]