Sarea cirrhendocarpa E. Tripp, Raynor, & J. Watts, 2024

Raynor, Seth J., Watts, Jacob L. & Manzitto-Tripp, Erin A., 2024, Sarea cirrhendocarpa, a fungus species new to science from the southern Rocky Mountains, Phytotaxa 671 (1), pp. 87-97 : 91-94

Sarea cirrhendocarpa E. Tripp, Raynor, & J. Watts sp. nov.

TYPE: USA, Colorado, Grand Co. Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, Indian Peaks Wilderness, mesic, subalpine coniferous forest on northern periphery of Crater Lake, 40°4’40”N, 105°39’38”W, 10,316 ft., on resin of large, mature Abies lasiocarpa , 4 August 2023,

E. Manzitto-Tripp et al. 10,000 (holotype, COLO!). Mycobank# 856042

Thallus absent. Disc with margins becoming excluded, never prominent, surfaces rough and dull, initially flush with margin but soon becoming prominently convex, margins and surfaces of discs concolorous. Apothecia dark or burnt orange, sometimes brownish-orange, mostly solitary, occasionally in clumps of 2–3, biatorine, sessile, 1.0– 1.9 mm in diam., discoid or slightly ellipsoid. Exciple orange-brown, not well-differentiated into separate layers, ca. 115 µm thick. Epihymenium orange to orangish-brown, K –, KI+ deep blue, C + red (fleeting under compound light microscope). Hymenium deep orange throughout except for the uppermost portions adjacent to epihymenium that are a lighter orange in color, frequently yielding a bi-colored hymenium, K –, KI–, 70–107 µm tall at the tallest point. Hypothecium concolorous with the deep orange of the adjacent hymenium, 75–143 µm tall at the tallest point, pseudoparenchymatous. Asci clavate, 53–65 x 15–17 (measured at widest part) µm, KI+ deep blue, +/– 100 spored. Ascospores hyaline, simple, globose, 1.5–2 µm in diam., Paraphyses clavate to strongly clavate apically, bent at the apex, typically unbranched, but occasionally branched at apex, terminal cell hyaline, (2.5–)3.5–5 µm wide. Anamorph unknown. Fig. 2 .

Etymology: The epithet cirrhendocarpa is derived from one Greek and two Latin roots, which highlight one of the most diagnostic features of this newly described species: its orange hymenium (cirrh- meaning orange, endo- meaning inside or within, and - carpa mean fruit, or “orange inner fruit”). This feature of Sarea cirrhendocarpa contrasts starkly with the hyaline hymenium of its closest relative, Sarea resinae .

Chemistry: Gyrophoric acid was detected in the epihymenium of the apothecia (epihymenium C+ red) and confirmed by TLC.

Substrate: The new species occurs on the aged resin of conifer trees, so far known only from mature Abies lasiocarpa and Picea engelmannii .

Habitat: The two collections representing this new species were made from sheltered mature treestands at middle to high elevations (10,000 –11,500 feet) in subalpine habitats proximal to glacial lakes.

Distribution: Sarea cirrhendocarpa is so far known only from the Indian Peaks Wilderness of Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest in the Front Range Mountains of Colorado. One collection derived from the west slope of the Continental Divide whereas the other was made on the east slope ( Fig. 3 ). We expect that further fieldwork throughout Colorado and adjacent areas will reveal additional populations of the new species. See the IUCN Conservation assessment for more discussion.

Notes: Morphological observations and measurements of commonly studied traits from this group show clearly multiple features that distinguish our new species from Sarea resinae and other congeners. Superficially, Sarea cirrhendocarpa and Sarea resinae can be differentiated by apothecia color, size, and shape (the former with larger, darker orange and convex apothecia and the latter with smaller, concave to plane, pale-yellow to pale-orange apothecia). Additionally, the former has convex apothecia and a margin that never exceeds the height of the disc whereas the apothecia of S. resinae have a prominent margin and discs that are often concave. Once sectioned, the two species continue to be differentiable by the smaller asci and smaller ascospores are of S. cirrhendocarpa compared to S. resinae , and the hymenium of the former being orange in color (sometimes bicolored with a hyaline layer towards the epihymenium; see description) compared to the uniformly hyaline hymenium found in S. resinae . Additionally, the paraphyses of S. cirrhendocarpa are predominantly clavate (and thus wider apically) versus cylindrical in S. resinae . I reactions in the sections of the two species also differ: although both bear asci that turn deep blue in KI, only S. resinae has a hymenium that turns pale purple in KI.

Apart from Sarea resinae , S. cirrhendocarpa is unlikely to be confused with other members of the genus. Sarea klamathica , S. difformis and S. coeloplata are similarly resinicolous, however all three bear much darker discs (these typically black) that readily distinguish them from the orange-disced species discussed above. Additionally, the discs of S. klamathica are often pruinose, making them superficially lighter than the other two dark disc Sarea species, and unlike either of the two orange-disced species. Another distantly related, resinicolous species to discern from our newly described species is Claussenomyces olivaceus . This species is also known from Colorado but has septate to submuriform primary spores, asci exhibiting no color change in iodine, and branched paraphyses making the species highly unique compared to members of Sarea .

IUCN Conservation Assessment: Based on our current knowledge and field exploration throughout the southern Rocky Mountains in addition to discovery of a single collection from Arizona (M. Westburg 851, LD), Sarea cirrhendocarpa is here assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) under criterion D of the IUCN Red List (IUCN 2012, 2022). This criterion was invoked as a result of only four known populations consisting of a total of four mature individuals of the new species. We calculated the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) as 5507.15 km 2 and Area of Occupancy (AOO) as 16 km 2, which resulted from the four known populations. Even though at present the species is highly localized—confined to the boundaries of the Indian Peaks Wilderness in Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, Holy Cross Wilderness in White River National Forest, and the Kachina Peaks Wilderness in north central Arizona —both regions are relatively remote, protected as wilderness areas within the U.S. Forest Service, and therefore unlikely to be threatened immediately and physically beyond the effects of anthropogenic climate change. Although all four populations were discovered within proximity of established hiking trails, it is probable that the species occurs more broadly within the region. We expect that further inventory of the lichen biota of Colorado and western North America will reveal additional populations of the species as we readily acknowledge that much of the southern Rocky Mountains and adjacent areas have yet to be comprehensively inventoried for their lichen biodiversity. With this said, we do not predict the species will eventually be regarded as frequent or common, as a newly launched comprehensive inventory of the lichens of Colorado by the authors has failed to yield any other populations.

Paratype: USA, Colorado, Boulder Co., Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, Indian Peaks Wilderness, subalpine, mesic, dwarf conifer forest stands to the East of Red Deer Lake, 40°5’29”N, 105°36’52” W, 11 417 ft., on Picea engelmannii resin, 5 September 2023, E. Manzitto-Tripp & S. Raynor 10212 (COLO!). Pitkin Co., White River National Forest, Holy Cross Wilderness, Lonesome Lake, subalpine-alpine transition zone, 39° 18’ 46”N, 106° 28’ 11”W, 11553 ft., on resin of large Picea engelmanii , 15 July 2024, J. watts 2217 (COLO!)

Sarea klamathica (J.K. Mitch. & Quijada) Raynor, J. Watts, & E. Tripp comb. nov. Basionym: Atrozythia klamathica J.K. Mitch. & Quijada, IMA Fungus 12: 17 (2021). TYPE: USA, California, Siskiyou Co., Klamath

National Forest, 41°50’03.6” 123°25’42.1”W, 566 m, on resin of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana , 12 December 2017, J. Mitchell

JM0068 (holotype, FH00965406-n.v.). Mycobank #856428

This species was treated in Mitchell et al. (2021) in detail. See that publication for description and detailed discussion of this species. See the notes section under S. cirrhendocarpa for differences between this and other resinicolous species.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Macromorphology and micromorphology of Sarea cirrhendocarpa. (A) Apothecium sectioned to reveal deep orange hymenium. (B)Apothecia showing deep orange, convex discs. (C) Apothecia in water mount showing deep orange hymenium and margin. (D) Three polysporous asci showing KI+ blue reaction and associated paraphyses. (E) Field photograph of apothecia showing coloration in natural light. (F) Apothecium showing deep orange hymenium, showing KI+ blue epihymenium and tops of asci. View of apothecia is slightly angled in comparison to C. (G) Apothecia showing deep orange, convex discs. A, D, E, and G taken from the holotype (Tripp et al. 10,000). B, C, and F taken from Tripp & Raynor 10,212. Scale Bars: A, B, E, G = 2 mm. C & F = 70 uM. D = 15 uM.

FIGURE 3. Occurrence map of collections of Sarea cirrhendocarpa included in this study.Each X represents a different locality (note that the two specimens from IPW are on different sides of the continental divide but have overlapping X’s due to the map scale).