Saxiloba
| Saxiloba | |
|---|---|
| Saxiloba firmula | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Gyalectales |
| Family: | Porinaceae |
| Genus: | Saxiloba Lücking, Moncada & Viñas (2020) |
| Type species | |
| Saxiloba firmula (Müll.Arg.) Lücking, Moncada & Sipman (2020) | |
| Species | |
|
S. firmula | |
Saxiloba is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Porinaceae. It comprises three species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) placodioid lichens, known from disjunct locations in the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Brazil. The genus was circumscribed in 2020 to accommodate species with a distinctive placodioid thallus featuring unique surface patterns and internal crystal structures. Saxiloba lichens are characterised by their flattened, leaf-like thalli with marginal lobes, growing tightly appressed to rock surfaces. They have a complex internal structure, including large crystal clusters embedded within the photobiont layer, which may be an adaptation for light management in their typically shaded habitats.