Lecaimmeria botryoides C.M. Xie & Li S. Wang, 2022

Xie, Cong-Miao, Wang, Li-Song, Zhao, Zun-Tian, Zhang, Yan-Yun, Wang, Xin-Yu & Zhang, Lu-Lu, 2022, Revision of Immersaria and a new lecanorine genus in Lecideaceae (lichenised Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes), MycoKeys 87, pp. 99-132 : 99

Lecaimmeria botryoides C.M. Xie & Li S. Wang sp. nov.

Figure 7a-d

Etymology.

The name " Lecaimmeria botryoides " refers to the crowded apothecia while immature.

Type.

China. Sichuan Province: Aba City, Rangtang County, Haizi Mt. , 4225 m elev., 32°21'N, 101°24'E, on rock, 6 Sept 2020, Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66730 (KUN-holotype) .

Description.

Thallus areolate, red-brown, discontinuous; areolae 0.2-1.0 mm across, flat, slightly concave or convex, pruinose, polygonal, tending to be rectangular, margins heavily pruinose. Prothallus black, distinct in the margin of thallus. Upper cortex 20.0-25.0 μm thick, brown; epinecral layer 22.0-48.0 μm thick; algal layer ca. 37.0 μm thick, cells 7.5-10.0 μm diam., round. Apothecia frequent, irregular, densely crowded while immature (3-6/areolae), aggregate once mature, immersed, 0.2-1.3 mm in diam.; disc red-brown, flat, or concave, epruinose; margin pruinose, slightly raised. Hymenium 67.0-100.0 (-155.0) μm thick, colourless; paraphyses ca. 2.0 μm wide, simple, only branched at the top, not anastomosing; epihymenium 25.0-30.0 μm thick, orange; plectenchyma 2.0-8.0 μm thick; subhymenium 17.0-38.0 μm thick, colourless; hypothecium pale brown to brown. Asci Porpidia -type, cylindrical, eight-spored; ascospores 7.5-8.0 × 4.0-6.0 μm in diam., ellipsoid, halonate. Conidiomata not seen; conidia not seen.

Chemistry.

Thallus K-, C+/-. Medulla I+ violet. Chemotype Ⅰ: Gyrophoric acid. Chemotype Ⅱ: none.

Ecology and distribution.

In China, growing on rock at elevations of 3100-4300 m in the alpine zone. This species is known from Qinghai and Sichuan Provinces of China.

Notes.

Lecaimmeria botryoides is characterised by its discontinuous thallus, densely crowded apothecia while immature and the orange epihymenium. Lecaimmeria orbicularis is similar to L. botryoides in its red-brown thallus, but differs in its round, flat apothecia and continuous thallus. The red-brown thallus of Lecaimmeria botryoides resembles L. cupreoatra , but the latter differs in the black margin of its apothecia and its distinct black prothallus between areolae.

Specimens examined (KUN).

China. Qinghai Province: Banma Co., 3958 m elev., 32°40'N, 100°48'E, on rock, 2020, Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66900, 3932 m elev., Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66898, 3935 m elev., Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66891, 3178 m elev., Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66765 . Sichuan Province: Rangtang Co., Mt. Haizi , 4256 m elev., 32°21'N, 101°24'E, on rock, 2020, Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66721, 4300 m elev., Li-Song Wang et al. 20-67706, 4276 m elev., Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66706, 4255 m elev., Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66707, 4274 m elev., Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66713, 4274 m elev., Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66711, 20- 66705, 4225 m elev., Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66730, 4220 m elev., 32°20'N, 101°25'E, Li-Song Wang et al. 20-66683 .

Figures

Figure 7. Lecaimmeria botryoides (a-d KUN 20 - 66730): a-b thallus c apothecial anatomy. L. lyagea (e-h KUN 20 - 69070): e-f thallus g apothecial anatomy h scospores. Scale bars: 1 mm (a-b, e-f); 20 μm (c, g); 10 μm (d, h).