Pyxine coccifera (Fée) Nyl. , Mém. Soc. Impér. Sci. Nat. Cherbourg

Mongkolsuk, Pachara, Meesim, Sanya, Poengsungnoen, Vasun & Kalb, Klaus, 2012, The lichen family Physciaceae in Thailand-I. The genus Pyxine, Phytotaxa 59 (1), pp. 32-54 : 40-41

4. Pyxine coccifera (Fée) Nyl., Mém. Soc. Impér. Sci. Nat. Cherbourg 5: 108 (1857).

Parmelia coccifera Fée, Essai cryptog. écorces officin.: 126 (1825). Holotype:—[without locality] ad corticem Alcornocae (G!). For further synonyms see Kalb (1987).

Thallus corticolous, very rarely saxicolous, 2–7 cm wide, adnate to loosely adnate. Lobes radiating, discrete to ± weakly contiguous, plane to convex, but often slightly concave towards the tips, 0.4–1.2 mm wide, subrotund at the apices. Upper surface grey to yellowish grey or dull yellow, pruina punctiform, sparse at the lobe tips or totally absent; polysidiangia and isidia absent. Pseudocyphellae scarlet, marginal and laminal, subreticulate, often developing into soralia. Soralia marginal and laminal, orbicular to linear, ± becoming excavate, producing bright red and grey granular soredia. Medulla pale yellow to creamy in upper part; lower medulla white; scarlet below the pseudocyphellae. Lower surface black in the centre, paler towards the margin; rhizines ± dense, furcate. Apothecia very rare, obscurascens - type, 0.5–1.5 mm wide; disc epruinose or weakly pale grey-pruinose. Internal stipe distinct, pale yellow in the upper part, white below, K-, P-, C-, KC-. Ascospores 14–18 × 6–8 μm. Pycnidia not seen.

Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow, UV-; medulla K-, C-, KC-, P-; red-pigmented medulla K+ purple, C+ purple-brown, KC+ violet, P-; containing atranorin, chiodectonic acid, methyl pyxinate, methyl 3- Omethylpyxinate, 25-acetoxy-20,24-epoxydammerane-3-one, 25-acetoxy-20,24-epoxydammerane-3β- ol and norstictic acid in the hypothecium only (Elix 2009).

Distribution and habitat:—Very common on bark and rock in coniferous, dry dipterocarp, mixed deciduous and shrub forests. Also in Australia, Central and South America and Africa.

Notes:— Pyxine coccifera is well characterized by the vivid red-pigmented soralia and pseudocyphellae.

Selected material from Thailand examined:— Chiang Mai; Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, on the bark of Dipterocarpus obtusifolius in dry dipterocarp forest, 800 m, 27 June 1994, K . Boonpragob et al. 1860 ( RAMK).— Loei; Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary, Phu Khon Substation , on rocks in dry evergreen forest, 700 m, 17°06'43'' N, 101°37'51'' E, 21 May 2009, S . Meesim & K . Buaruang MSPL 148 ( RAMK).— Loei; Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary, Nam Chan Forest Ranger Station , on rocks in dry dipterocarp forest, 397 m, 17°20'57'' N, 101°33'32'' E, 28 July 2009, S . Meesim & K . Buaruang MSPL 320 ( RAMK).— Loei; Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary, Phu Khon Substation , on the bark of Shorea obtusa in dry dipterocarp forest, 700 m, 17°14'32'' N, 101°18'28'' E, 10 November 2009, K . Buaruang & S . Meesim MSPL 506 , 731 ( RAMK).— Loei; Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary, trail to Pha Kob, Lon Tae Forest Ranger Station , on the bark of an unidentified tree in coniferous forest, 1245 m, 17°12'00'' N, 101°33'48'' E, 12 November 2009, S . Meesim & K . Buaruang MSPL 604 , 607 ( RAMK).— Nakhon Ratchasima; Khao Yai National Park, in front of Pra Tum Nak , on rocks in shrub forest, 850 m, 14°26' N, 101°42' E, 18 June 1999, P . Mongkolsuk 15097 ( RAMK).— Nakhon Ratchasima; Khao Yai National Park , on the bark of Dipterocarpus obtusifolius in dry dipterocarp forest, 700 m, 14°18' N, 101°37' E, 20 February 2000, P . Mongkolsuk 17356 ( RAMK) .