Cryptothecia napoensis Kalb & Jonitz, 2012

Kalb, Klaus, Buaruang, Kawinnat, Mongkolsuk, Pachara & Boonpragob, Kansri, 2012, New or otherwise interesting Lichens. VI, including a lichenicolous fungus, Phytotaxa 42, pp. 35-47 : 40-41

Cryptothecia napoensis Kalb & Jonitz sp. nov. ( Fig. 1E, F ) Mycobank MB 564179

Sicut Cryptothecia candida (Kremp.) R. Sant. , sed materia chemica differt.

Type:— ECUADOR. Napo: Between Tena and Pto. Misahuallí, a few km W of Misahuallí, walking trail to ‘ Cascada de Latas’ , on bamboo stipes in a tropical rainforest, 480 m, 01°01.9’ S, 77°44’ W, 3 September 2011. K. Kalb, J. Kalb & H. Jonitz (holotype hb. Kalb 38968, isotype UPS) .

Etymology:—The specific epithet refers to Napo Province in Ecuador where the type was collected.

Thallus up to 4 cm wide, but sometimes several thalli confluent and then forming patches up to 10 cm wide, firmly attached to the substrate, smooth, dull, grey, greenish grey to green, heteromerous, thin, up to 50 µm thick; prothallus byssoid, brownish to black; medulla white, I+ blue; photobiont trentepohlioid, with several cells aggregated. Ascigerous parts delimited, round to elongated, raised, white, I+ violet, 0.4–1 mm diam. Paraphysoids tightly enclosing the asci. Asci frequent, ± globose, ca. 50 µm diam., walls 5–6 µm thick, usually with (4–)6(–8) ascospores. Ascospores ellipsoid but often curved and slightly thickened in the middle, with 9–13 transverse and 1–3(–4) longitudinal septa, (40–)45–55(–60) × (12–)13–15(–18) µm. Chemistry: confluentic acid (major), 2’- O -methylmicrophyllinic acid (trace) and 2’- O -methylperlatolic acid (trace) [J. Elix 2011, HPLC, TLC].

Notes:— Cryptothecia napoensis is closely related to the epiphyllous C. candida , and initially a new species was not described despite its occurence on bamboo. Bamboo culms provide a habitat often exploited by foliicolous species ( Santesson 1952). However, C. candida is distinguished by its slightly larger ascospores (48–)52–60(–65) × (16–)17–20(–22) µm ( Thor 1997) and especially by its alternative chemistry, i.e. not gyrophoric acid as mentioned by Thor (1997), but 2’- O -methylperlatolic acid and 2’- O -methylanziaic acid ( Lücking et al. 2006). The morphologically identical neotropical C. filicina differs in having perlatolic acid. Until now, the chemistry of the new species is unique within the genus.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–B. Coniocarpon coralloideum (holotype), A. thallus with apothecia and coralloid outgrowths; Scale: 1 mm. B. Cross section through apothecium with asci and ascospores; Scale: 30 µm. C. Brigantiaea sorediata, thallus with apothecia and densely packed granules; Scale: 2 mm. D. Crustospathula khaoyaiana (holotype), thallus with apothecia and soralia; Scale: 1.5 mm. E–F. Cryptothecia napoensis (holotype), E. thallus with ascigerous parts; Scale: 0.5 mm. F. ascospores; Scale: 12 µm.