Orcularia insperata (Nyl.) Kalb & Giralt

Kalb, Klaus & Giralt, Mireia, 2011, Orcularia, a segregate from the lichen genera Buellia and Rinodina (Lecanoromycetes, Caliciaceae), Phytotaxa 38, pp. 53-60 : 56-57

Orcularia insperata (Nyl.) Kalb & Giralt , comb. nov. Mycobank MB 563560

Lecanora insperata Nyl., Acta Soc. Sci. Fenn. 7: 443 (1863).— Lectotype! (selected by Aptroot 1987): Colombia, Nova Granata, Lindig 2616 (H-Nyl. 28494).—Isolectotypes: Nova Granata, Lindig 2616 (H-Nyl. 28493). Nova Granata, Bogota, 2600 m, (H-Nyl. p. m. 2902, 2903, 9541; fide H. Mayrhofer et al. 1999).

Lecidea insperata Nyl. , Flora 63: 128 (1880). Rinodina insperata (Nyl.) Malme, Bihang till Kongl. Svenska vetenskapsakademiens handlingar 28, afd. 3(1): 44 (1902). – Amandinea insperata (Nyl.) H. Mayrhofer & Ropin , Muelleria 12: 191 (1999).

Lecidea biloculata Nyl. , Flora Regensburg 40: 460 (1877). Lecanora biloculata (Nyl.) Nyl. ex Hue, Revue de Botanique 5: 29 (1886-1887). Buellia biloculata (Nyl.) H. Olivier, Expos. Lich. Ouest France 2: 150 (1901). Rinodina biloculata (Nyl.) Sheard, Lichenologist 3: 344 (1967).— Holotype: Ireland, Kylemore, Mr. Larbalestier (H-Nyl. 10437!).

Lecidea polospora Leighton, Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. Bot. 1: 241 (1878). Buellia polospora (Leight.) Shirley, Pap. Proc. R. Soc. Tasm., 1893: 218 (1894) .— Holotype: Ireland, Co. Galway, Ballinahinch churchyard, on old thorn-bushes, 1877, Mr. Larbalestier (BM?, not seen).

Thallus corticolous or lignicolous, whitish to grey, rarely ochraceous, inconspicuous, usually thin, sometimes even evanescent. Apothecia (0.2–) 0.3–0.4 mm diam, when very young ±surrounded by a very thin, pseudothalline margin which is soon excluded; disc dark brown or black, epruinose, flat to slightly convex, rarely markedly convex; proper margin thin, usually persistent rarely totally excluded. Proper exciple poorly developed, 30–50 µm thick, KOH-. Hypothecium 30–60(–80) µm deep, brown. Hymenium 60–80(–90) µm high, colourless, not inspersed. Epihymenium brown. Paraphyses (1.5–) 1.7–2.1 µm thick, end cells 3–4(–5) µm broad, with a brown cap, unbranched or with a few branches towards the tip. Asci 8-spored, Bacidia- type. Ascospores 1-septate, (11–)13–18(–22) × (6.5–)7–9(–10) µm, Orcularia - type, olive, later pale brown, spore wall smooth, lumina connected by a long isthmus. Pycnidia black, 80 µm diam., conidia filiform, 12–15 × 0.8 µm. Chemistry: Spot tests all negative. According to Giavarini et al. (2010) lacking secondary metabolites. In the specimen Kalb-38244 thuringione (major) and arthothelin (submajor) were detected by HPLC ( Kalb & Elix 1998) .

Ecology:— Orcularia insperata seems to be a species with a wide ecological amplitude. It was found in cool-temperate, warm-temperate, atlantic, subtropical and tropical regions near the coast and up to 2850 m (in Ecuador). It occurs in both hemispheres, at low altitudes in cool-temperate areas of Atlantic Europe ( Spain, British Islands) and South America ( Argentina, Uruguay), at middle altitudes in Macaronesia and subtropical regions and reach very high altitudes in the tropics. Some records in Marbach (2000) do not refer to this species. Here it is reported for the first time from the Indian Ocean (Reunion). Recently it has been reported from North Carolina ( USA) by Lendemer et al. (2008). The species is also known from New Zealand and Australia ( Mayrhofer et al. 1999).

Notes:— Orcularia insperata is characterized by a whitish to greyish, usually thin thallus, small apothecia (up to 0.4 mm diam.), a clear hymenium and Orcularia- type ascospores, 1-septate, (11–)13–18(–22) × (6.5–)7–9(–10) µm, with a smooth spore wall. Orcularia insperata is very similar to O. placodiomorpha , but lacks additional septal lumina in mature ascospores. The study of the type material of O. insperata and O. biloculata has proved that they are conspecific. The conidia of R. biloculata were described by Fox & Purvis (1990) as ellipsoid. Unfortunately, no conidia have been observed in the type material. However, as all other diagnostic characters are in accordance with the type and the other specimens of O. insperata , we consider the description of the conidia by Fox & Purvis (1990) to be erroneous.

Specimens examined:— ECUADOR. Tungurahua: Ascent to Zumbahua, ca. 20 km W of Baños, K. & A. Kalb (KALB 18478); Between Baños and Riobamba, K. & A. Kalb (KALB 18504).— BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul: Mun. Encruzilhada do Sul, Passo dos Coqueiros, Cerro Mouros, Faz Xafri, M. Fleig 7004 (ICN); São Paulo: Serra do Mar, between Paratí and Cunha, K. Kalb & G. Plöbst (KALB 28565).— PARAGUAY. Asunción. G. O. Malme 315 (H).— ARGENTINA. Salta: Salta, San Bernardino, B. Marbach 1140 (KALB); Ñacurutú in delta flum. Paraná, G. O. Malme 347, 60 (H); Marindia, B. Marbach & H. Osório 1123 (KALB 38244).— URUGUAY. Montevideo: Baja blanca, B. Marbach & H. Osório 1142 (KALB 38248). MADEIRA. Porto Santo, Pico do Castelo, A. Aptroot 27660 (B); Machico, Pico de Facho, 1990, J. Etayo (hb. Etayo); between Machico and Canical, N Pico do Facho, 1990, K. & A. Kalb (hb. Kalb).—CANARY ISLANDS, Tenerife, N of Santiago del Teide, 1.5 km WSW of Erjos, P. & B. v.d. Boom-37675 (hb. v.d. Boom); La Gomera, Arguamul, F. Berger (hb. Berger 13338).— RÉUNION. Cilaos, path to llet de Salazes, A.M. Brand- 59659 (hb. Brand).— IRELAND. Connemara: Ballynahinch Church, 1966, J.W. Sheard (hb. Sheard); Cork: Bantry, League Point, 1966, J.W. Sheard (hb. J.W. Sheard).— SPAIN. Navarra: Ibardin, 1987, J. Etayo (GZU, hb. Etayo).