Dictyocatenulata

Dictyocatenulata is a fungal genus of uncertain classification in the subclass Ostropomycetidae. It contains the single species Dictyocatenulata alba. Originally described in 1967 as a bark-dwelling fungus, it was later recognised as a lichen in 2004. The genus is characterised by its unique reproductive structures called synnemata, which are upright, stem-like formations that produce spores. D. alba has a widespread distribution, found in North and Central America, Asia, and Europe, typically growing on tree bark in humid forests. Recent molecular studies suggest that Dictyocatenulata may be closely related to the genus Thelenella, potentially representing an asexual stage of unknown Thelenella species. This lichen is distinguished by its thin, greenish thallus (body) and its spores, which are divided into many cells and arranged in chains, features that give the genus its name.