Sagedia zonata Ach. Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Nya Handl.

Szczepańska, Katarzyna, Kukwa, Martin, Guzow-Krzemińska, Beata & Urbaniak, Jacek, 2023, New and rare lichens of the family Megasporaceae discovered in Poland, Phytotaxa 598 (2), pp. 133-144 : 140-141

Sagedia zonata Ach. Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Nya Handl. 30: 165. 1809.

≡ Lecanora zonata (Ach.) H. Magn., Kongl. Svenska Vetensk. Acad. Handl. , ser. 3 17(5): 139. 1939. ≡ Aspicilia zonata (Ach.) R. Sant., Lich. Sweden & Norway (Stockholm): 46. 1984.

( Fig. 1F )

Thallus lichenized, crustose, areolate, thin, pale-grey, greenish-grey or brownish-grey, matt. Areoles, flat to slightly convex, rounded to irregular, 0.5–2.0 mm in diam. Prothallus rarely visible, fibrous, dark-grey to black. Apothecia immersed, 1 to 4 per areole, 0.2–1.0 mm in diam., thalline margin thin, slightly raised, smooth, grey, usually darker than the thallus, disc black, rounded, flat and matt. Hymenium colourless, 90–110 μm tall with submoniliform paraphyses (3–4 globose apical cells), epihymenium green-brown to olive-brown, N+ green intensifying, K+ yellowish brown (Caesiocinerea-green), hypothecium colourless. Asci 8-spored, ascospores hyaline, simple, ellipsoid, 16–22 × 8–12 μm. Conidia filiform 8–12 × 1 μm.

Chemistry: No secondary substances were detected in the analysed material.

Ecology and distribution: Sagedia zonata is not a very common species, occurring in scattered localities in only a few European countries, including Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway and Sweden ( Roux 2012; Wirth et al. 2013; Nimis et al. 2018; Westberg et al. 2021; Nimis & Martellos 2022). It had not been previously reported from Poland; however, a few specimens of this taxon were stored in Polish herbaria under other names, including two samples collected by B. Stein in the Karkonosze Mts.

Sagedia zonata occurs on silicate rocks, in high precipitation locations, in open places and usually in mountains ( Wirth et al. 2013). In Poland, it has been exclusively reported from the Sudety and Karpaty Mts from relatively high altitudes (above 1000 m). In addition, after field studies conducted in 2006 ( Kossowska et al. 2016) and the revision of material collected by B. Stein, it was confirmed, after 130 years, from a locality on a basalt vein in the Mały Śnieżny Kocioł cirque (Kleine Schneegrube) ( Fig. 2A–C ).

Notes: Sagedia zonata is a very often overlooked or incorrectly identified species because of the lack of obvious characteristic features. In Polish herbaria, it was usually labelled as Circinaria caesiocinerea . Indeed, these two taxa are similar, both in the terms of thallus morphology and the length of the conidia ( Wirth et al. 2013). However, both species differ in ascospore size, which are larger in C. caesiocinerea (20–26[–30] × 12–16[–18] μm) ( Owe-Larsson et al. 2007; Fletcher et al. 2009; Nordin et al. 2010; Wirth et al. 2013). In addition, C. caesiocinerea usually avoids habitats with harsh climatic conditions in high mountains, being known in Poland mostly from lowlands. Sagedia zonata can also be confused with Aspicilia aquatica (Fr.) Körb. , although the latter can be distinguished by the whitish colour of the thallus, the larger ascospores (22–27[–35] × 14–20 μm) and the occurrence in the vicinity of water ( Owe-Larsson et al. 2007; Wirth et al. 2013). Aspicilia polychroma Anzi is similar in terms of the secondary chemistry, thallus appearance and ascospore size, but it can be distinguished by its longer conidia (20–25 μm) ( Wirth et al. 2013).

The nucITS rDNA marker was sequenced from six specimens ( Table 1 ) and showed a 98–99% identity with the sequences of S. zonata deposited in GenBank ( Table 2 , data for S. zonata ), of which sequences of the best hits from BLAST analyses originated from Sweden.

Material examined: POLAND. Dolnośląskie province: Sudety Mts, Karkonosze Mts, Mały Śnieżny Kocioł cirque, on basalt rock, July 1883, B. Stein ( WRSL-7755 ); Sudety Mts , Karkonosze Mts , Kocioł Wielkiego Stawu cirque, on granite rock, 21 July 1865, B. Stein ( WRSL-7736 ); Karkonosze Mts , Mały Śnieżny Kocioł cirque, basalt vein, on basalt, August 2006, M. Kossowska, W. Fałtynowicz (Hb. Kossowska 383, 459, Hb. Szczepańska 41, 924); Karkonosze Mts , Mały Śnieżny Kocioł cirque, basalt vein, on basalt, 18 July 2013, K. Szczepańska 1102 (Hb. Szczepańska) ; Małopolskie province: Karpaty Mts, Tatry Zachodnie Mts, Chochołowska Valley , elev. 1140 m, on granite boulders in the Chochołowska clearing, 1 December 1995, J. Nowak (KRAM L-42336, KRAM L-42339) ; Podkarpackie province: Karpaty Mts, Bieszczady Mts, Wetlińska Meadow , south-western slope of the Roh Mt , elev. 1025 m, on sandstone rock, 11 September 2004, J. Kiszka, R. Kościelniak (KRAP L); Bieszczady Mts , Wetlińska Meadow, south-western slope of Roh Mt, close to the tourist trail, elev. 1190 m, on sandstone rock, 11 September 2004, J. Kiszka, R. Kościelniak (KRAP L); Bieszczady Mts , Wietlińska Meadow, north-eastern slope, close to mountain shelter, elev. 1160 m, on sandstone rock, 12 September 2004, J. Kiszka (KRAP L).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Specimens treated.A. Aspicilia goettweigensis (Hb. Szczepańska 1093). B. Aspicilia polychroma (Hb. Szczepańska 1022). C. Aspicilia verrucigera (Hb. Szczepańska 1272). D. Oxneriaria supertegens (KRAM L-34348). E. Sagedia mastrucata (Hb. Szczepańska 1186). F. Sagedia zonata (KRAM L-42336). Scales: 2 mm. Fot. K. Szczepańska.

FIGURE 2. Sagedia zonata leg. B. Stein, rev. K.Szczepańska (WRSL-7755).A. Herbarium card. B. Specimen, scale:2 mm.C. Herbarium labels with B. Stein signature and J. Motyka comment (“is not A. aquatica”) above. Fot. K. Szczepańska.