Licea testudinacea Nann.

Basanta, Diana Wrigley De, Mier, Carlos De & Lado, Carlos, 2023, A taxonomic revision of the species of Licea subg. Licea (Myxomycetes), Phytotaxa 629 (2), pp. 95-128 : 122-123

24. Licea testudinacea Nann. -Bremek. Acta Bot. Neerl. 14: 141 (1965) Figs. 20A–K

Sporophores sporocarpic, grouped or scattered, sessile. Sporocarps suglobose, 0.1 mm diam., to pulvinate, angular, 0.15 mm high, 0.2–0.8 mm long, dark brown to black, with undulating glossy lighter ridges marking places of dehiscence ( Fig. 19 E ). Peridium double, the outer layer closely appressed and covered with granular refuse material ( Fig. 19 F ), the inner layer inner surface shiny, minutely warted, brownish yellow/orange by TL,; dehiscence along ridges into many small platelets with a band of interlacing outgrowths on platelet margins ( Fig. 19 F ). Spores very dark brown in mass, grey by TL, with a conspicuous paler area, globose, (10–)12–13(–15) µm diam., warted. By SEM the inner peridial surface is densely and minutely warted, with different sized warts ( Fig. 19 I ), the outer layer is covered with granular material; the platelet margins ornamented with a row of prominent different sized outgrowths and pegs, some interlacing ( Figs. 19 H – I ); the epispore is covered by flattened verrucae.

Material examined: Holotypus. NETHERLANDS. Doorwerth, 10-October-1959, NENB 3472 ( BR 5020053457106)! .

Habitat: on bark of living and dead trees, dead trunks of angiosperms and gymnosperms.

Distribution: Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Portugal, India, Japan, USA, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Brazil, Australia, New Caledonia.

Icon.: Nannenga-Bremekamp (1965: 141, Figs. 8 A – B ; 1975: 68; 1991: 46), Neubert et al. (1993: 283, Figs. VI: 7–8), Novozhilov et al. (1999: 85, Figs. 4 E – H ), Yamamoto (2006: 39, Figs. 17 A – C ; 2021: 150, Figs. A – C), Johannesen & Vetlesen (2020: 81, Figs. 41 C – E), Barbosa & Cavalcanti (2020: 422, Figs. 3 A – J ).

Notes. This species has dark sporocarps with lighter dehiscence lines, small numerous platelets and dark warted spores with a pale area. It was described with a single peridium and by light microscope it appears single because the two layers are tightly appressed. The author indicates in her later keys ( Nannenga-Bremekamp 2022) that the peridium is in fact double, and this can be seen in Fig. 19H herein. This combination of characters separates it from similar species like L. pygmaea (Meyl.) Ing , L. castanea G. Lister and L. chelonoides Nann. -Bremek.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Licea aurea. A–G. (dwb 3815, MA-Fungi 91750, Holotype), H–J. (dwb 3533). A. Herbarium box. B–D. Sporocarps. E. Whole sporocarp and spores by TL. F. Fragment of the inner surface of the peridium and spores. G. Spores by TL with thick walls and thinner germination area. H. Whole open sporocarp showing spores by SEM. I. Group of spores by SEM. J. Spore by SEM. Scale bars: B–D = 0.1 mm, E–G, I = 10 µm, H = 50 µm, J = 5 µm.

FIGURE 4. Licea belmontiana. A–J (NENB-5879, BR-MYC 5020057898868, Holotype). A. Herbarium box. B–C. Sessile sporocarps. D. Peridial platelets by TL. E. Spores by TL. F. Dehisced sporocarp by SEM. G–H. Peridial platelets by SEM showing margins without outgrowths (arrows). I–J. Warted spores by SEM. Scale bars: B–C = 0.1 mm, D–G = 10 µm, H–J = 5 µm.

FIGURE 8. Licea chelonoides. A–J (NENB 5620, BR5020057361348, Isotype). A–B. Herbarium box. C–D. Sessile sporocarps. E. Peridial platelet and spores by TL. F. Spores by TL. G. Dehisced sporocarp base by SEM. H. Platelet outer surface by SEM. Whole platelet showing well-defined edges. I. Edge of a platelet by SEM showing double peridium and no outgrowths on the edge. J. Spore by SEM. Scale bars: C–D = 0.1 mm, E–F, H = 10 µm, G = 50 µm, I–J = 5 µm.

FIGURE 17. Licea pygmaea.A–L (Myxo 055, LAU, Lectotype).A. Herbarium box. B–E. Sessile sporocarps. F–G. Peridial platelets and spore by TL. H. Whole open sporocarp by SEM. I–J. Peridial platelet margins by SEM. K–L. Spores by SEM. Scale bars: B = 0.1 mm, C–E, H = 50 µm, F–G = 10 µm, I–L = 5 µm.

FIGURE 19. Licea synchrysospora. A–B, D, F (MYX11315, Holotype); C, E, G (s.n.). A. Herbarium box. B–C. Sessile sporocarp. D–E. Peridial platelets (arrows) and spores by TL. F–G. Spore in clusters by TL. Scale bars: B–C = 0.1 mm, D–G = 10 µm.

FIGURE 20. Licea testudinacea. A–K (NENB 3472, BR5020053457106, Holotype). A–C. Herbarium box. D-E. Sessile sporocarps. F. Peridial platelet with ornamented margin by TL. G. Spores by TL. H. Peridial platelet margin by SEM. I Detail of the inner surface of the peridium and ornamented margin by SEM. J–K. Spores by SEM. Scale bars: D = 0.2 mm, E = 0.1 mm, F–H = 10 µm, I–K = 5 µm.