Aspicilia laevata (Ach.) Arnold (1887: 98)

Nordin, Anders, 2015, New synonyms and lectotypes in Aspicilia (Megasporaceae, Ascomycota), Phytotaxa 192 (3), pp. 197-200 : 198

Aspicilia laevata (Ach.) Arnold (1887: 98)

Basionym:— Sagedia laevata Acharius (1809:164) . Lecanora laevata (Ach.) Nylander (1866:137) . Lectoype (designated here):— SWEDEN. Uppland: Carlberg, Swartz (UPS!).

= Lecanora holmiensis Magnusson (1939: 123) . Type:— SWEDEN. Uppland: Stockholm, Roslagstull, August 1859, P. T. Cleve (holotype UPS!). syn. nov.

Lecanora subobscura Magnusson (1939: 122) . Type:— SWEDEN, Bohuslän: Naverstad par., Torp, 27 July 1923, A. H. Magnusson 7541a (holotype UPS!). syn. nov.

Only one locality and collector was cited by Acharius in the protologue of Sagedia laevata . Corresponding material could not be found at H-ACH or UPS-ACH, nor at S, SBT or UPS-THUNB, where many of Swartz’ collections are housed. The material selected as lectotype was found in the general herbarium of UPS. The label of the lectotype is in the handwriting of E. Fries and reads: ” Parmelia cinerea v. laevata , Sagedia laevata Ach. e loco primitivo, Carlberg. Swartz.” and Th. M. Fries has added: “Th.Fr. Scand. p. 276.” It contains a small piece of rock (c. 1 cm 2), covered by a thin thallus with plenty of apothecia, possibly originating from a larger collection, but no such collection was found.

Both Lecanora holmiensis and L. subobscura are only known from the types. The former is in poor condition and does not really look like a typical A. laevata . The thallus is areolated, some of the apothecia are unusually protruding and the black rim of the apothecia is not very distinct. Nonetheless, the spore and conidial measurements, as given by Magnusson, as well as the chemistry (occurrence of stictic acid) agree with A. laevata . Consequently it should just be regarded as a deviating specimen. It should be noted that the type locality is situated less than 2 km ENE of the type locality for Aspicilia laevata in the northern part of the city of Stockholm.

The thallus of Lecanora subobscura is areolated, and it is rather thick, but in other respects it agrees with A. laevata . In UPS there are similar collections that were determined to A. laevata by Magnusson.