Proper Exciple Research Articles

Bacidia genuensis B. de Lesd. resurrected

The species described as Bacidia genuensis is transferred here to Bacidina as B. genuensis (Ramalinaceae, Lecanorales, lichenized Ascomycota). An updated morphological description is provided. The species is characterized by mostly blackish apothecia on a thick, microsquamulose thallus, a crystal-inspersed proper exciple that is mostly prosoplechtenchymatous, an ascus with a wide and dome-shaped axial body and an expanded c-layer (resulting in a thin, amyloid d-layer), a blue-green pigment in the epihymenium, proper exciple, and pycnidial wall, and an orange-brown, K+ intensifying pigment in the hypothecium and sometimes proper exciple. This combination of characters sets the species apart from its potentially close relatives Bacidina egenula and B. indigens, as well as the superficially similar, but more distantly related, Toniniopsis bagliettoana. Bacidina genuensis is currently known from a few sites in northern Italy, where it inhabits weathered and apparently shaded mortar of masonry.

Two new species of Leptogium (Collemataceae) with transversely septate ascospores from East Africa


 
 
 Two epiphytic Leptogium species from East Africa, both with transversely septate ascospores, are here described as new. They produce plicate thalli and have a paraplectenchymatous proper exciple and a one cell layer thick cortex on the thalline exciple. Leptogium bellum has so far only been collected from Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, where it occurs from mid- montane forests up to the subalpine zone. Leptogium tiinae occurs in relatively open habitats at lower elevations, with the type specimen collected from the Taita Hills, Kenya. Additionally, details from a Leptogium chloromeloides isotype and a key for Leptogium species with transversely septate ascospores are provided.
 
 

A new species and four new records of Bacidia (Lecanorales, Ramalinaceae) from South Korea, with a key to Korean species.

A new species, Bacidiafuscopallida Lee & Heo and four new records, B.ekmaniana R. C. Harris, Ladd & Lendemer, B.friesiana (Hepp) Körb., B.heterochroa (Müll. Arg.) Zahlbr. and B.suffusa (Fr.) A. Schneid., are described from South Korea. Bacidiafuscopallida differs from B.diffracta S. Ekman, the most similar species, by warted but non-granular thallus, paler and smaller apothecia without pruina, proper exciple without crystals, over 11-septate ascospores and smaller pycnidia and pycnoconidia. Bacidiaekmaniana is recorded new to Asia, B.heterochroa is reported new to northeastern Asia and B.friesiana and B.suffusa are new to Korea. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences strongly support the classification of the five species of Bacidia. A surrogate key is provided to assist in the identification of all 19 taxa in Bacidia of Korea.

Australidea (Malmideaceae, Lecanorales), a new genus of lecideoid lichens, with notes on the genus Malcolmiella

AbstractThe new genus Australidea Kantvilas, Wedin & M. Svensson is described to accommodate Lecidea canorufescens Kremp., a widespread lichen in temperate Australasia. It is characterized by a crustose thallus with a green photobiont, reddish brown, biatorine apothecia with an internally hyaline, cupulate proper exciple constructed of branched and anastomosing hyphae, mainly simple paraphyses, 8-spored, Porpidia-type asci and simple, hyaline, non-halonate ascospores. A phylogenetic analysis places the new genus in the family Malmideaceae. Lecidea canorufescens Kremp., L. glandulosa C. Knight, L. immarginata R. Br. ex Cromb. and L. intervertens Nyl. are lectotypified. These names, plus L. dacrydii Müll. Arg. and L. eucheila Zahlbr., are all synonyms of Australidea canorufescens (Kremp.) Kantvilas, Wedin & M. Svensson comb. nov. Several genera superficially similar to Australidea, including Malcolmiella Vĕzda, Malmidea Kalb et al. and Myochroidea Printzen et al., are compared. A comprehensive anatomical and morphological description of the genus Malcolmiella, recorded for Tasmania for the first time, is also provided. The new combination M. interversa (Nyl.) Kantvilas, Wedin & M. Svensson is introduced and the names M. cinereovirens Vĕzda and M. cinereovirens var. isidiata Vĕzda are reduced to synonyms. The systematic position of this genus remains unclear, although phylogenetic analysis suggests its affinities lie with a group of genera that includes Bryobilimbia Fryday et al., Romjularia Timdal and Clauzadea Hafellner & Bellem.

Toniniopsisbartakii - A new species of lichenised fungus from James Ross Island (Antarctic Peninsula)

The new lichen species Toniniopsis bartakii is described from James Ross Island, the North-East Antarctic Peninsula region. It is phylogenetically most closely related to T. bagliettoana but differs mainly in forming a more developed, squamulose thallus. It is morphologically more similar to T. coelestina but differs mainly in the pigmentation in the proper exciple. An identification key to the known species of Toniniopsis is also provided

The new genus Pulvinora (Lecanoraceae) for species of the ‘Lecanora pringlei’ group, including the new species Pulvinora stereothallina

Phylogenetic reconstructions based on ITS/5.8S, mtSSU and nuLSU DNA sequence data suggest that Lecanora pringlei from North America and a closely related new species from the Altai Mountains, Russia, should be transferred to a new genus Pulvinora, phylogenetically related to Frutidella. It is distinguished by Lecanora-type asci, mycolecanorine apothecia soon becoming convex with an algal layer pushed below the hypothecium, and a pulvinate thallus with squamules at the tip of pseudopodetia-like, branched, pale brownish structures. Lecanora subcavicola and L. pringlei subsp. brandegeei do not belong to this new genus Pulvinora; consequently, we propose the new combination L. brandegeei to accommodate the latter taxon. Pulvinora stereothallina is distinguished from P. pringlei in the shape and size of its squamules (plane to concave, up to 3.0 mm long vs. remaining convex, up to 1.5 mm long), by the lack of maculae, the presence of a whitish pruina on the margins and elevated parts of its squamules, by apothecia coalescing into clusters (vs. single), an ochre-yellow to brownish (vs. colorless) proper exciple, larger ascospores, and different secondary metabolites. Lectotypes of Lecidea pringlei Tuck. and L. brandegeei Tuck. are designated here from the collections deposited in fh.

Three overlooked species of Bacidia from insular Laurimacaronesia

We discuss the taxonomy of three species of Bacidia occurring in insular Laurimacaronesia. Two of them, B. amylothelia (Vain.) Vain. and B. endoleucoides (Nyl.) Zahlbr., which were previously described from Angola and Madeira, respectively, are found here to belong in Bacidia s. str. (Ramalinaceae). Modern descriptions and illustrations are provided for the first time. Bacidia amylothelia is similar to B. areolata Gerasimova & A. Beck, B. campalea (Tuck.) S. Ekman & Kalb, B. fusconigrescens (Nyl.) Zahlbr., B. heteroloma (Vain.) Zahlbr., B. millegrana (Taylor) Zahlbr. and B. suffusa (Fr.) A. Schneid. and is reported here from the Canary Islands. Bacidia endoleucoides is most likely to be confused with B. absistens (Nyl.) Arnold, B. friesiana (Hepp) Körb., B. salazarensis B. de Lesd. and B. caesiovirens S. Ekman & Holien and was found to be widely distributed in the Canary Islands and Azores in addition to Madeira. The third species, Bacidia deludens S. Ekman, Tønsberg & van den Boom, is described here as new to science. Bacidia deludens is characterised by a greyish, crustose thallus with whitish soralia, pale apothecia with crystals in the hymenium and proper exciple, acicular ascospores with 3–19 septa, and the production of fumarprotocetraric acid as the consistently present major substance. It is described here from the Canary Islands and Madeira. Although conservatively treated here in Bacidia, we argue that it is likely to belong in the Malmideaceae. An identification key to all known species of Bacidia s. str. in insular Macaronesia is provided.

Rinodina lecideopsis (Teloschistales, Physciaceae) a new endemic species from the central United States related to R. bischoffii

Rinodina lecideopsis is described as new to science. The species is characterized by the lecideine appearance of its apothecia due to the darkly pigmented cortex of the thalline margin and by a broad, hyaline proper exciple, which limits the algae to a narrow region at the base of the margin. The hymenium is densely inspersed with oil droplets and the spores are Bischoffii-type, both characters indicating a relationship with R. bischoffii. The new species belongs to a group of ecologically similar saxicolous lichens restricted to outcrops in tallgrass prairies, and glade openings in savannas and woodlands, fire-adapted ecosystems of the central United States. The biogeography and conservation needs of these lichens is briefly discussed.

Galbinothrix, a new monotypic genus of Chrysotrichaceae (Arthoniomycetes) lacking pulvinic acid derivatives

AbstractGalbinothrix caesiopruinosa is described from Japan and Korea. The new genus and species is placed in Chrysotrichaceae by its ascoma morphology and by a phylogenetic analysis of mtSSU and nLSU sequence data using Bayesian and maximum likelihood inference. The monotypic genus Galbinothrix is superficially similar to Chrysothrix caesia in having dark brown ascomata covered by a thin bluish grey pruina, reddish brown ascomatal pigment in the epithecium and proper exciple, the greyish green to yellowish olive thallus, and usnic acid as the main secondary thallus compound. It differs from this species and all other Chrysotrichaceae by its large, oblong, thick-walled ascospores with a distinct epispore, the narrowly clavate to almost tubular asci, and the never clearly granular to leprose thallus.

A re-evaluation of thelotremoidGraphidaceae(lichenized Ascomycota:Ostropales) in India

AbstractAn account of thelotremoid species ofGraphidaceaein India is provided, which includes 124 species in 24 genera.OcellulariaandThelotremaare the most diverse genera represented by 34 and 18 species, respectively. Type specimens were re-examined and additional samples studied morphologically and chemically. One new species,Ocellularia upretiiS. Joshi, Divakar, Lumbsch & Lücking, is described; it is characterized by a greyish green thallus, porinoid ascomata, brown proper exciple, simple, carbonized columella, clear hymenium, transversely septate, amyloid ascospores of 110–125×15–20 µm and an absence of secondary metabolites.Asteristion australianum,Astrochapsa mirabilis,Cruentotrema cruentatum,C. kurandense,Ocellularia violaceaandThelotrema adjectumare reported as new to the country, andAstrochapsa mirabilis,Melanotrema submicrosporoides,Ocellularia annuloelevata,O. subkeralensisandRhabdodiscus verrucoisidiatusare proposed as new combinations.Diploschistes awasthii,Ocellularia gupeti,O. leucina, O. mahabalei,Thelotrema confertumandT. verrucorugosumare synonymized underD. scruposus,O. neomasonhalei,O. urceolaris,O. thelotremoides,Chapsa leprocarpoidesandT. rugatulum, respectively, withOcellularia canarianaandO. verrucomarginatareduced to synonymy withO. allosporoides.

Graphis maomingensis, a new lichenized fungus from China

Graphis maomingensis sp. nov. is described from Guangdong Province, eastern China. It is characterized by a concealed disc, striate labia, striatula-morph lirellae, completely carbonized proper exciple, and hyaline transversely 15-21-septate ascospores. The important characters of this species are illustrated. All materials are conserved in the Lichen Section of Botanical Herbarium, Shandong Normal University.

A new record, Graphis anfractuosa, and an updated taxonomic key of Graphis from Vietnam

Graphis anfractuosa is described as new record from the low land parts of southern Vietnam. The species is characterized by lirellae having entire labia, lacking or with basal thalline margin, completely carbonized proper exciple, inspersed hymenium, transversely 6–9-septate, 20–27 × 5–8 μm ascospores, and absence of secondary compounds. In addition, a revised key for thirty five species of Graphis, so far known from the country is also provided.

A new species of Megalaria (Ascomycota, Ramalinaceae) and M. laureri new to mainland China

Megalaria hainanensis is described as new to science. It occurs on bryophytes over rock, and is characterized by its large apothecia, light-brown to brown-red proper exciple, an epithecium containing cinereorufa-green, arnoldiana-brown in the hypothecium, ascospores of (22) –24– (25) × (9) –10 µm, and the presence of atranorin and zeorin in the thallus. Megalaria laureri is also reported from mainland China for the first time.

New and interesting species in the family Graphidaceae (Ascomycota: Ostropales) from Vietnam

AbstractThe lowland area of southern Vietnam contains a high diversity of corticolous, crustose lichens, particularly in the family Graphidaceae. Two species, Acanthothecis verrucosa S. Joshi, Upreti & Hur and Graphis exuta S. Joshi, Upreti & Hur, are described new to science. Acanthothecis verrucosa is characterized by a verrucose, olive green thallus containing irregular to shortly lirellate apothecia, hyaline to brownish proper exciple apically lined by robust periphysoids, muriform ascospores, 30–70 × 15–20 μm, and the presence of psoromic and subpsoromic acids. Graphis exuta is characterized by a smooth, greenish white thallus, simple lirellae lacking thalline margin, entire labia coarsely white pruinose towards slit, muriform ascospores, 20–35×10–13 μm, and norstictic acid in the thallus. A new name, Acanthothecis yokdonensis S. Joshi & Hur, is proposed here for the species Acanthothecis salazinica S. Joshi & Hur, a later homonym of A. salazinica van den Boom & Sipman. In addition, 34 species from Vietnam are newly reported. A world key to the group of Graphis species characterized by short, simple and sessile lirellae lacking or with basal thalline margins (nuda-morph) is presented.

Buellia numerosa and B. subnumerosa, two new species of the lichen genus Buellia (Caliciaceae) from Japan

Buellia numerosa and B. subnumerosa are described as new from Japan. These two corticolous species share common morphological characters: whitish, smooth to rimose thallus; adnate apothecia; flat, epruinose disc; dispersa-type proper exciple; numerous ascospores per ascus; and Buellia-type ascospores. In addition, they share chemical characters: presence of fumarprotocetraric acid and atranorin. They are clearly distinguishable from previously-described Buellia species based on their ascospore numbers and metabolites, and from each other by the number of ascospores per ascus and characters of the asci. Buellia numerosa has 20–64 ascospores per ascus while B. subnumerosa produces 8–36. Also, brown overmature asci are always found in B. subnumerosa, but not in B. numerosa. A phylogenetic analysis based on the ITS region confirmed that they should be recognized as two different species.

New and overlooked species from the Galapagos Islands: the generic concept ofDiploiciareassessed

AbstractThree new species ofDiploiciaare described from the Galapagos Islands and a fourth,D. glebosa, is transferred fromPyxine; all four are considered endemic to the archipelago. In order to accommodate these species, the generic concept ofDiploiciahas been emended. Two of the species are sterile;D. leproidicais placodioid-leproid, where the thalli derive from pseudocorticate granules aggregating into small, placodioid rosettes with distinctly lobate margins. The second sterile species,D. squamulosa, forms scattered squamules that eventually aggregate into small, placodioid rosettes. The two fertile species,D. glebosa, with an olivaceous to beige, smooth, epruinose upper surface, andD. neotropica, with a white to grey-white, roughened, pruinose upper surface, form larger thalli typical ofDiploicia, have apothecia that are initially lecideine, but are soon engulfed and hidden by a thick thalline margin. Anatomically the proper exciple remains visible for a considerable part of the ontogeny, although it eventually becomes almost completely reduced to a few pigmented or almost hyaline hyphae. This transition from lecideine to lecanorine apothecia is similar to thephysciaeformis-type ontogeny observed in somePyxinespecies. Several species currently accommodated inBuellias. lat. with diploicin and effigurate thalli that lack distinctly lobate margins are discussed and the Socotran endemicPhyscia endopyxineais transferred intoDiploicia.

Fellhaneropsis almquistiorum sp. nov. from Europe (Pilocarpaceae, lichenized Ascomycota)

Fellhaneropsis almquistiorum S. Ekman, a lichenized ascomycete in the family Pilocarpaceae (Lecanorales, Lecanoromycetes) is described as new to science. It is characterized by the thin and filmy crustose thallus, small photobiont, apothecia with a yellowish to black disk and well developed black margin that becomes excluded with age, dark green and brown pigmentation in the proper exciple and hypothecium, a hymenium without pigment or with some green and brown pigment, more or less fusiform and 3‐septate ascospores, abundant black pycnidia, and long and filiform conidia. The species is currently known from central Sweden and central Germany, where it inhabits shaded and acid to neutral rocks with few competing lichens. Historical records were all misidentified as Bacidia coprodes or any of its synonyms or misapplied names. Some specimens of F. almquistiorum contain a previously unrecorded pigment, tentatively named here Almquistiorum‐yellow. This pigment is intensely golden yellow in water, does not react with KOH and fades with the addition of HCl or HNO3. A key to all known, pycnidiate members of Fellhaneropsis is provided.

Graphis yunnanensis (Ostropales, Graphidaceae), a New Lichen Species from China

Graphis yunnanensis is described here as a new species. It is taxonomically well characterized by entire labia, slit-like disc, lateral thalline margin, completely carbonized proper exciple, inspersed hymenium, 8-spored asci, muriform 25~45 × 8~12 μm ascospores, and the presence of norstictic and stictic acids. The separation of the new species from other somewhat similar Graphis species is discussed. In addition, the study includes Graphis tenoriensis and Phlyctis karnatakana reported for the first time from China.

Japewiella dollypartoniana, a New Widespread Lichen in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern North America

ABSTRACT Japewiella dollypartoniana is described as new to science based on material from the Appalachian Mountains and adjacent regions of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. It is distinguished from other species of Japewia and Japewiella by its sorediate thallus and production of norstictic acid. Placement in Japewiella is supported by characters from fertile populations discovered in the Unicoi Mountains of western North Carolina which have apothecia that resemble those of Japewia tornoensis (Nyl.) Tonsberg but differ in having a well-developed proper exciple and ascospores without a thick, gelatinous sheath.

A New Species of Graphis and New Lichen Records from Vietnam, Including a Second Worldwide Report of Sarcographina cyclospora

Graphis upretii is a new lichen species discovered in Vietnam. The species is characterized by a loosely corticate, rough, whitish grey to greyish green thallus, elongate and irregularly branched lirellae with an apically thin complete thalline margin (negrosina morph), laterally carbonized, entire proper exciple, clear hymenium, hyaline, 16~20 transversely locular ascospores, and about 50~95 × 10~15 μm in size. In addition, members of the taxon produce norstictic and stictic acids. Currently, the lichen flora of Vietnam include Arthonia radiata, Brigantiaea tricolor, Coenogonium implexum, Dirina paradoxa, Herpothallon sipmanii, Pertusaria pertusa, and Sarcographina cyclospora.