Iqbalia

Iqbalia is a single-species fungal genus in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains Iqbalia kashmirensis, a saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen found in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.

Taxonomy
Iqbalia was circumscribed in 2022 by Iram Fayyaz, Najam Ul Sehar Afshan, and Sergey Kondratyuk. The genus name honours the Pakistani mycologist S.H. Iqbal, professor at the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, "in recognition of his contributions to lichen flora of Pakistan". The species epithet kashmirensis refers to the type locality.

Iqbalia is in the subfamily Teloschistoideae. On the phylogenetic tree of the family Teloschistaceae, it appears on a monophyletic branch between the genera Stellarangia and Kaernefia.

Description
The genus Iqbalia shares similarities with the Australian genus Nevilleiella, particularly in terms of their thallus (the main body of the lichen) colouration, which ranges from brownish-yellow to orange. Both genera also develop -like formations on the surface of their thallus. However, Iqbalia can be distinguished by its distinct (small, isolated patches of thallus), which are separate and not clustered together, unlike those in Nevilleiella. Furthermore, Iqbalia does not form -like formations, a type of structure resembling small, split-off fragments. Another difference lies in the ; when observed in water, the ascospores of Iqbalia have a wide septum (an internal dividing partition). This characteristic is distinct from what is observed in Nevilleiella.

Chemically, Iqbalia is unique for containing variolaric acid, a secondary metabolite (lichen product) not found in Nevilleiella. Additionally, the two genera differ ecologically in their preferred habitats. Iqbalia typically grows on calcareous rocks, which are rich in calcium carbonate, while Nevilleiella is more commonly found on soil in desert conditions.

Habitat and distribution
Iqbalia kashmirensis is only known to occur at the type locality in Azad Kashmir. There, at an elevation of 817 m, it grows on calcareous rock.