Phaeophyscia kaghanensis Niazi, Nadeem, Afshan & Khalid, 2023

Niazi, Abdul Rehman, Afshan, Najam-ul-Sehar, Naseer, Arooj, Nadeem, Muhammad, Iftikhar, Fatima, Fayyaz, Iram, Ashraf, Asma, Imtiaz, Sawera, Fatima, Shahzadi Qamar & Khalid, Abdul Nasir, 2023, A new species and a new record of the genus Phaeophyscia Moberg (Lecanorales, Physciaceae) from Pakistan supported by phenotypic and molecular phylogenetic analyses, Cryptogamie, Mycologie 20 (4), pp. 51-59 : 52-56

Phaeophyscia kaghanensis Niazi, Nadeem, Afshan & Khalid , sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 )

The taxon is characterized by its greyish white to grey thallus, absence of asexual diaspores or cortical hairs, flat to slightly concave lobes, white medulla, black lower surface, large, Physcia-type ascospores of 24-30× 12-17 µm, and absence of secondary substances.

HOLOTYPE. — Pakistan. Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Garhi Dupatta , 34°36’N, 73°35’E, 817 m alt., on tree bark, 2.X.2021, N. S. Afshan & A. R. Niazi, CKR-22 (holo-, LAH [ LAH37615 ]; GenBank[ OP933723 ]).

ADDITIONAL SPECIMEN EXAMINED. — Pakistan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kaghan Valley, Sharan, 34°30’N, 73°18’E, 2500 m alt., on tree bark, 22.VIII.2022, N. S. Afshan & A. R. Niazi, KA-17 ( LAH [ LAH 37616]; GenBank[ OP 933724 ]).

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific epithet ‘kaghanensis’ (Latin) refers to the type locality of Kaghan Valley.

CHEMISTRY. — Thallus K-, C-, KC-, P-; no lichen substance detected by TLC.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION. — The known collections of the new species are from moist temperate, coniferous forest in the Himalaya in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The specimens were found on siliceous rock. The forest is dominated by species such as Pinus roxburghii Sarg. , Pyrus pashia L., Quercus oblongata D.Don and Q. glauca Thunb. The maximum daily temperature of the region varies around 30-32°C during the summer, the average winter temperature is 4°C, and there is moderate rainfall.

MYCOBANK. — MB846997.

DESCRIPTION

Thallus

Foliose, epiphloeodal, greyish white to grey, remaining unchanged when wet, loosely attached to substratum, 3-5 cm in diam., more or less circular in outline.

Lobes

Densely, dichotomously or irregularly branched, without pruina, lobe tips greyish-white, flat to slightly concave, imbricate, usually upturned near the tips, 0.8-2.5 mm wide.

Soralia and isidia

Absent.

Upper surface

Dark brown, paraplectenchymatous, 20-25 µm thick.

Algal layer

30-35 µm thick.

Photobiont cells

Globose, 10-15 µm in diam.

Medulla

White.

Lower surface

Black, usually becoming pale to dark grey towards lobe tips, not rhizinate.

Rhizines

Absent.

Lower cortex

Paraplectenchymatous, dark brown, 28-35 µm thick.

Apothecia

Frequent, usually present, 2.5-4 mm in diam., stipitate, lacking cortical hairs, epruinose.

Disc

Chocolate brown to black, dull, epruinose, flat to strongly convex.

Margins

Prominent, creamy to pale white.

Epihymenium

Light brown to brownish orange, 13-17 µm.

Hymenium

Hyaline, 90-110 µm.

Hypothecium

Hyaline, 25-35 µm.

Ascus

Cylindrical to clavate, 70-83 × 22-28 µm.

Ascospores

Dark brown, ellipsoid, Physcia - type, 24-30× 12-17µm.

Paraphyses

Hyaline, branched and anastomosing, 2-3 µm thick, wider at the apex, 4-5 µm thick.

Pycnidia

Not found.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Phaeophyscia kaghanensis Niazi, Nadeem, Afshan & Khalid, sp. nov.: A, foliose thallus of type specimen (holo-, LAH[LAH37615]); B, apothecia; C, section of an apothecium; D, E, ascus; F, ascospores. Scale bars: A, 1 cm; B, 3 mm; C, 100 μm; D, 28 μm; E, 24 μm; F, 14 μm.