Meridianelia
| Meridianelia | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Umbilicariales |
| Family: | Elixiaceae |
| Genus: | Meridianelia Kantvilas & Lumbsch (2009) |
| Species: | M. maccarthyana |
| Binomial name | |
| Meridianelia maccarthyana Kantvilas & Lumbsch (2009) | |
| Holotype: near Lake Fenton, Tasmania | |
Meridianelia is a fungal genus in the family Elixiaceae. It consists of the single species Meridianelia maccarthyana, a corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen. This lichen forms greyish-white, crust-like growths on tree bark in subalpine woodlands of Tasmania, Australia. Discovered in 2003 and scientifically described in 2009, Meridianelia is classified in the small fungal family Elixiaceae based on its genetic and structural characteristics. The genus is notable for its unique reproductive structures and its apparent rarity, having been found in only a few locations despite growing in a relatively common type of forest.