Licea ampulliformis D. Wrigley & Lado, 2023

Basanta, Diana Wrigley De, Mier, Carlos De & Lado, Carlos, 2023, A taxonomic revision of the species of Licea subg. Licea (Myxomycetes), Phytotaxa 629 (2), pp. 95-128 : 98-99

2. Licea ampulliformis D. Wrigley & Lado sp. nov. Figs. 2A–M

HOLOTYPUS: MEXICO. Puebla, Emilio Portes Gil, 19°17’40.1’’N 97°30’21.9’’W, 2430 m, 3-III-2001, in moist chamber of Yucca filifera bark (pH 7.0), leg. D. Wrigley de Basanta, dwb 1988 (MA-Fungi 98835)! .

Mycobank: MB 850897.

Sporophores sporocarpic, dispersed or grouped, sessile. Sporocarps subglobose, (0.05–) 0.1–0.3 mm diam., yellowish brown (74. s y Br-78. d. y Br). Hypothallus inconspicuous. Peridium single, membranous, thin, with lighter lines marking small peridial platelets ( Figs. 2 B – D ), light orange-yellow (70. l. OY) by LM, inner surface slightly roughened by LM, warted by SEM ( Fig. 2 J ), outer surface roughened or covered with granular material, except in lighter areas edging the platelets ( Fig. 2 E arrows); dehiscence into small irregular platelets with smooth clear margins ( Fig. 2 I arrow). Columella absent. Capillitium absent. Spores free, dark yellowish brown (78. d. y Br) in mass, yellowishbrown (76. l. y Br) to orange-yellow (71. m. OY) by LM, subglobose, (11.5–)12–14(–14.5) µm diam., minutely punctate by LM, with dispersed baculae by SEM ( Fig. 2 M ), spore wall uniform thickness, except for the germination area one side that is thinner and lighter. Protoplasmodium colourless.

Etymology: Latin (ampulla) or blister from the macroscopic appearance of the fresh sporophore.

Habitat: On the bark of living Yucca filifera and Yucca periculosa

Distribution: At the moment known from the States of Hidalgo, Puebla and Queretaro (Mexico). Probably occurring in other regions of the world where Yucca spp. are present.

Other material examined: Licea ampulliformis . MEXICO. PUEBLA: Emilio Portes Gil, 19°17’40.1’’N 97°30’21.9’’W, 2430 m, 3-III-2001, in moist chamber culture (mc) of Yucca filifera bark , (pH 7.0) , dwb 1973. Esperanza, Cañada Morelos, 18°51’14”N; 97°28’47”W, 2420 m, 2-III-2005, Yucca periculosa bark (mc, pH 7.1) , dwb 253. San Luis las minas, Santiago Miahuatlan, 18°33’52”N 97°23’27”W, 2020 m, 7-VII-2005, on Yucca sp. bark , (mc, pH 7.0) , dwb 2614 . HIDALGO: Tlanalapa, route Mex 130, Km 37, 19°50’15”N 98°37’03” W, 2457 m, 12-IV-2002, on Yucca periculosa bark , (mc, pH 6.8) , dwb 2182 ; idem 11-V-2002 , (mc, pH 7.1) , dwb 2189 . QUERETARO: Vizarrón, Cadereyta, 20°48’32”N 99°43’20”W, 2120 m, 28-V-2005, on Yucca filifera bark , (mc, pH 6.8) , dwb 2613 (slide only). Licea nannengae Pando & Lado. Holotypus: SPAIN. Soria, Cubillos, 30TWM0421, 1090 m, on bark of Juniperus thurifera , 24-II-1986, 246 Pando (MA-Fungi 16056) .

Notes. While studying the myxomycetes associated with plants in semi - arid lands and deserts in Mexico as part of the Myxotropic project (www.myxotropic.org) a Licea subg. Licea that presents some differences from currently described species was found. It is described here as a new species. The group of characters that distinguish it from other species of the genus are the wrinkled, yellowish brown sporocarps, that break into small irregular platelets with clear margins lacking any ornamentation, the single peridium and the spore ornamentation as seen by SEM. Germination of spores on water agar, transferred to WMY ( Haskins & Wrigley de Basanta 2008) with the mélange of bacteria carried from the spore surface, produced hyaline protoplasmodia from both collection dwb 1988 and dwb 2614, but these never developed fully into sporocarps on agar in spite of enriching the medium with sterile Yucca sp. bark extract. This species may appear somewhat similar to the recently described L. aurea D. Wrigley, Lado & Estrada , but its wrinkled yellow-brown sporocarps, with thin lighter lines marking the numerous platelets with smooth clear margins, differ from the golden sporocarps dehiscing into very few platelets with the margins showing no differentiation from the rest of the peridium in L. aurea . It also resembles L. nannengae Pando & Lado from which it differs in its single vs. double peridium and warted vs. smooth spores.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Licea ampulliformis. A–H, K–M (dwb 1988, MA-Fungi 98835, Holotype), I–J (dwb 2535).A. Herbarium box. B–D. Sessile sporocarps. E. Spores and peridial platelets by TL showing clear margins to the platelets (arrows). F–H. Spores by TL. I. detail of platelet margin showing clear area by SEM (arrow). J. Inner surface of a platelet showing warted surface. K–L Detail of open sporocarp showing platelets and spore by SEM. M. Spores by SEM. Scale bars: B–D = 0.1 mm, E = 20 µm, F–H, L = 10 µm, I–J, M = 5 µm, K = 50 µm.