Neoprotoparmelia brasilisidiata Garima Singh, M. Caceres & Aptroot

Singh, Garima, ptroot, Andre, ico, Victor J., tte, Juergen, Pradeep K. Divakar,, Crespo, Ana, Caceres, Marcela Eugenia da Silva, H. Thorsten Lumbsch, & Schmitt, Imke, 2018, Neoprotoparmelia gen. nov. and Maronina (Lecanorales, Protoparmelioideae): species description and generic delimitation using DNA barcodes and phenotypical characters, MycoKeys 44, pp. 19-50 : 19

Neoprotoparmelia brasilisidiata Garima Singh, M. Caceres & Aptroot sp. nov. Figure 6

Type.

BRAZIL. Sergipe, Parque Nacional Serra de Itabaiana, 10°44'57"S, 37°20'20"W, ca. 200 m alt., on bark of tree, 10 May 2014, M. Cáceres & A. Aptroot 21684 (holotype: ISE, isotype: ABL).

Diagnosis.

Very similar to Neoprotoparmelia amerisidiata , but differing by having thinner, 0.04-0.08 mm wide, isidia.

Etymology.

Named after the country of discovery, Brazil and the presence of isidia.

Description.

Thallus up to ca. 0.05 mm thick, shiny, pale olive-green to olive-grey, continuous, marginal prothallus brown, thin or absent. Isidia always numerous, initially widely dispersed or somewhat clustered, eventually covering much of the thallus, up to 1.5 mm long, persistently 0.04-0.08 mm wide over their whole length, cylindrical, usually rather irregularly repeatedly branched and somewhat nodulose, glossy, pale olive-green to olive-grey, tips distinctly brown and dull. Apothecia sessile, round or usually with wavy outline, 0.6-1.3 mm diam., disc flat, smooth, dull, dark brown. Margin dull, ca. 0.15 mm wide, of thallus colour, not or only slightly higher than the disc. Hymenium hyaline, not inspersed with oil droplets, up to 80 μm high; epihymenium olive-brown, pigment in K becoming soluble and paler; hypothecium hyaline, up to 75 μm thick including subhymenium; excipulum hyaline throughout, with a 7-15 μm thick layer of cortex without crystals, with algae, extending below the hypothecium (cupulate). Paraphyses branched, ca. 2.0 μm wide, not thickened at the tips. Asci 8-spored, cylindrico-clavate, up to 55 × 13 μm. Ascospores hyaline, simple, narrowly ellipsoid, not constricted, 9-11 × 2-3 μm, without appendages. Pycnidia not observed.

Chemistry.

Spot tests: medulla of thallus and isidia UV+ greenish white, C–, P–, K–, KC+ pink. TLC: alectoronic acid (major), dehydroalectoronic acid (minor or trace) and β-alectoronic acid (trace). Gyrophoric acid has also been reported ( Kalb 2004).

Distribution and ecology.

On tree bark in parks, open areas, Cerrado and Atlantic rain forests. Neotropical - known from Costa Rica, El Salvador and Brazil, where it is widespread and known from the following states: Sergipe, Matto Grosso, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Maranhão, Tocantins, Minas Geraes and Rio Grande do Sul.

Reference sequences.

(specimen: Aptroot 21684, holotype: ISE). KY012831 (mtSSU), KY066305 (nuLSU).

Remarks.

This species comprises specimens recovered within ' P. isidiata B’ in ' Protoparmelia tropical clade’ in Singh et al. (2015). It is similar to N. amerisidiata , but, however, differs in having slightly thinner isidia. It is a common species on exposed bark in the neotropics and can easily be recognised in the field, from other isidiate crusts even when sterile, due to the strong UV-reaction visible with a portable UV-torch and thus can be distinguished from other isidiate crusts, even when sterile.

Additional specimens examined.

BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul, Viamão, near Parque Itapua, ca. 100 m alt.; 26 September 2014, M. Cáceres & A. Aptroot 22137 (ABL, ISE); Maranhão, Bananal, 20 km S of Imperatriz, ca. 140 m alt.; 20 October 2016, M. Cáceres & A. Aptroot 28776 (ABL, ISE). Tocantins, near Itaguatins, ca. 150 m alt.; 22 October 2016, M. Cáceres & A. Aptroot 28809 (ABL, ISE). COSTA RICA. Guanacaste, 15 km SSE of Nicoya, ca. 850 m alt.; 22 March 2004, H. Sipman 52086 (B), A. Aptroot 60835, 60836 & 60840 (INB). SAN SALVADOR. Ahuachapán, Parque Nacional El Imposible, ca. 800 m alt.; December 1998, R. Welz 89, 140 & 438 (B).