Asterochloris

The genus Asterochloris is one of the most common lichen photobionts. It is known by its selection toward certain groups of lichen-forming fungi, predominantly Cladoniineae, i.e. suborder of Lecanorales, including families Cladoniaceae and Stereocaulaceae. Several studies have illustrated that a wide range of Asterochloris taxa occur as photobionts of various fungal species. Asterochloris is a member of Trebouxia clade (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta). From closely related genera (i.e. Trebouxia and Myrmecia) it could be identified by means of deeply lobed chloroplast, rather oviform, elliptical and pyriform cell shape, and high proportion or strict presence of aplanospores, i.e. a large number (64-128) of immotile small daughter cells with cell walls.

A. phycobiontica	A. phycobiontica	A. glomerata	A. glomerata

A. irregularis	A. irregularis	A. italiana	A. excentrica

Asterochloris sp.	Asterochloris sp.	Asterochloris sp.	Asterochloris sp.

Asterochloris sp.	Asterochloris sp.	Asterochloris sp.	Asterochloris sp.

Asterochloris sp.	Asterochloris sp.	Asterochloris sp.	Asterochloris sp.

Asterochloris sp.	inside lichen thallus	inside lichen thallus