Vermilacinia pustulata Spjut & Sérus., 2020

Spjut, Richard, Simon, Antoine, Guissard, Martin, Magain, Nicolas & Serusiaux, Emmanuel, 2020, The fruticose genera in the Ramalinaceae (Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes): their diversity and evolutionary history, MycoKeys 73, pp. 1-68 : 1

Vermilacinia pustulata Spjut & Sérus. sp. nov. Fig. 13E, F

Diagnosis.

Similar to V. cedrosensis in the flexuous long cylindrical branches with a pale yellow-green cortex, but differs by the pustular cortical protrusions, in contrast to pitted and transversely reticulated cortex of V. cedrosensis .

Type.

Mexico - Baja California Sur, Vizcaíno Peninsula, ca. 11 km NW of Bahía Tortugas, 2.6 km NE of Rompiente along the west side of peninsular Coast, west to southwest along track off the Bahía Tortugas-Punta Eugenia Road; 27°44.969'N, 114°56.690'W; alt. 140-160 m; 30.01.2016, R. Spjut & E. Sérusiaux 17191 leg.; on white calcareous rock outcrops along coastal hills trending northwest, (LG! - holotype; BCMEX!; US!; hb. Spjut at World Botanical Associates! - isotypes); [TLC: Salazinic acid, triterpene 3, zeorin, [-]-16α-hydroxykaurane, unknown triterpene UV+ bright blue Rf just below T3, traces of several other unknown triterpenes; DNA: MN811556 (LSU), MN811360 (ITS), MN757151 (RPB1), MN757492 (GDP), MN757618 (EF-1α)]

Description.

Thallus divided into many long, uniformly narrow cylindrical-teretiform, flexuous branches from a pale brown to blackened base, to 7.0 cm long and 1 cm diam. at base. Primary branches fastigiate, ascending near base, flexuous above, simple or dichotomously divided, 1-2 mm diam., terminating in aggregate of few to several apothecia, occasional branches obtuse to a blunt apex; surface of branches densely pustular and blistered, conspicuously in a line along one side. Cortex pale yellow green or whitish-green, 40-60 μm thick. Medulla with strong orange pigmentation in central region within the lower half of branches, becoming pale yellow and then clear in upper half or medulla pale yellow or without noticeable pigmentation; photobiont in small yellowish-green colonies irregularly dispersed around the perimeter of medulla. Apothecia mostly terminal, occasionally subterminal well below apex, developing from a short terminal expansion and flattened lobe, bowl-shaped when young, to 5 mm diam.; thalline margin lip-like, incurved to disc, becoming deeply lobulate; disc pale yellow green to pale grey or white or yellowish with age, plane to slightly concave; asci 8-spored; mature spores not seen outside asci. Pycnidia black, conspicuous on conical protrusions, immersed except for ostiole flush with surface.

Chemistry.

Salazinic acid, triterpene 3, zeorin, [-]-16α-hydroxykaurane, unknown triterpene UV+ bright blue Rf just below T3, traces of several other unknown triterpenes, one above salazinic acid and another above T3 (TLC in Solvent G).

Etymology.

Epithet pustulata refers to the pustular outgrowths on the cortex.

Distribution and ecology.

Mexico, Baja California Sur, Vizcaíno Peninsula and Baja California, Punta Morro Santo Domingo and Puerto San Andrés.

Remarks.

Vermilacinia pustulata is closely related to V. cedrosensis from which it can be distinguished by its surface of branches densely pustular and blistered, conspicuously in a line along one side. This species is resolved as sister to V. reptilioderma , a species easily distinguished by its cylindrical-prismatic branches and production of the triterpenes T1 and T2. All species delimitation methods recognized the two as different, except for STACEY which merged them. This incongruence may require further investigation.

Conservation Status.

The species appears threatened at type locality by trash discarded in the open desert, observed to be increasing in density as one approaches within several km from the west side of Bahía Tortugas. Fortunately, the species occurs elsewhere.

Additional specimens examined.

Mexico - Baja California, west of Villa Jesus María along shoreline at Punta Morro Santo Domingo; elev. 10 m; 12.2016; S. Leavitt et al. 16-938 leg. (BRY!); ibid.; vicinity of Puerto San Andrés; 19.05.1986; R. Spjut 9893A1 leg. (hb. Spjut at World Botanical Associates).

Figures

Figure 13. New species of saxicolous Vermilacinia A, B V. breviloba (holotype) C, D V. lacunosa (holotype) E, F V. pustulata (holotype) G, H V. reticulata (holotype). Scale: 1 mm (A, C). Photographs by R. Spjut.