Notes on two lichenicolous Epigloea species from Central Europe

Paweł Czarnota,Emil Hernik

doi:10.5586/asbp.2013.030

Abstract

Taxonomic remarks, known distribution, ecological notes and new records in Central Europe for two species of Epigloea are provided. Many specimens recognized here under E. soleiformis characterize slightly wider and more ellipsoid ascospores than those described in the protologue but they are regarded as some kind of a phenetic variability of this species. E. soleiformis seems to be not only algicolous fungus but also facultatively lichenicolous on Placynthiella spp. and terricolous Peltigera spp. while E. urosperma is found to be exclusively lichenicolous on Placynthiella dasaea. E. soleiformis is new for the Western Carpathians and the Harz Mts, and E. urosperma is new for whole Carpathians.

Highlights

The genus Epigloea Zukal containing 12 species [1] belongs to the family Epigloeaceae (Zahlbr.) of uncertain taxonomic position within Ascomycota [2]
The aim of this paper is to present some additional data that would contribute to the knowledge of the genus Epigloea and the distribution of its two representatives in Central Europe with special remarks on the intraspecific variability within E. soleiformis
Due to the lack of molecular evidences supporting the delimitation of different lineages confined to some phenetic characters of both taxa we propose to keep separately E. renitens and E. soleiformis, the later being the variable species characterized both constricted and not constricted ascospores, reaching 5.5 μm width

Summary

Introduction

The genus Epigloea Zukal containing 12 species [1] belongs to the family Epigloeaceae (Zahlbr.) of uncertain taxonomic position within Ascomycota [2]. All of known Epigloea species are probably under-collected due to their inconspicuousness, ephemeral ascomata and specific niche requirements. Most of these microfungi live as a fine mycelium immersed in the gelatinous algal film. These algal films cover bare damp soils, rocks, rotten wood as well as plant debris (especially moribund bryophytes) and various terricolous and epibryophytic lichens. The biological nature of the algicolous lifestyle of Epigloea spp. remains poorly understood. They were described as lichens, “semi-lichens” or non-lichenized parasites of algae or their commensals [3,4,5,6,7]. E. soleiformis has been reported as a lichenicolous, weakly parasitic fungus only from two localities in Asia [9] and from N Poland [10]

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