Lecanora anhuiensis Lijuan Li & Printzen, 2023

Li, Lijuan, Zhang, Yanyun & Printzen, Christian, 2023, Phylogeny, morphology and chemistry reveal two new multispored species in the Lecanora subfusca group (Lecanoraceae, Ascomycota), MycoKeys 99, pp. 25-43 : 25

Lecanora anhuiensis Lijuan Li & Printzen sp. nov.

Fig. 3A-E

Diagnosis.

Distinguished from other multispored species of Lecanora by brown apothecial discs, fine crystals in the epihymenium, small crystals in the amphithecium and the presence of atranorin and zeorin.

Type.

China. Anhui Prov.: Lu’an Ci., Jinzhai Co., The main peak of the Tiantangzhai , Ta-pieh Mountain , 31°06′20″N, 115°46′15″E, alt. 1720 m, on bark, 12 Oct 2020, Ren Qiang 20200731, HMAS-L-0147383- holotype .

Description.

Thallus corticolous, continuous to rimose to verrucose areolate, thin and tightly attached to the substrate, surface dirty grey to greenish, epruinose, lacking soredia, prothallus not visible.

Apothecia lecanorine, numerous, rounded or deformed by mutual pressure, dispersed to aggregated, sessile to adnate, 0.4-1 mm in diameter; disc plane to slightly concave or convex, yellowish-brown to deep brown, epruinose, margin persistent and prominent, entire or slightly flexuous, cream-white; amphithecium with numerous algal cells, containing small crystals (POL+, K-insol, N-sol); cortex indistinct, interspersed with fine crystals (POL+, K-sol, N-insol); parathecium colourless, 15-25 (-40) µm wide, with fine crystals (POL+, K-sol, N-insol) mostly in the uppermost part; epihymenium with fine crystals (POL+, K-sol, N-insol) on the surface and interspersed to upper part of paraphyses and amongst the apical cells, with deep orangish-brown to deep brown amorphous pigmentation, becoming faint dull brown or dissolving in K; hymenium colourless, 80-110 µm high; paraphyses simple to somewhat branched, ca. 1.5-2 µm thick, tips expanded up to 4 µm; hypothecium colorless, composed of anastomosing hyphae; asci clavate, Lecanora -type, 55-70 × 15-25 µm, 16-spored; ascospores simple, hyaline, narrowly ellipsoid to ellipsoid or ovoid, occasionally subglobose, (9.0-)11.0-12.0-13.5(-15.0) × (5.0-)5.5-6.0-7.0(-8.0) µm (n = 74), wall ca. 0.5 µm. Pycnidia not found.

Chemistry.

Thallus K+ yellow, C-; containing atranorin and zeorin.

Distribution.

This species occurs on bark and is known from Anhui Prov., in the south-eastern part of the Ta-pieh Mountains at elevations between 850 and 1720 m. The Ta-pieh Mountains are located at the junction between Anhui, Hubei and Henan Provinces in China.

Etymology.

The species is named after its locality in Anhui Province, China.

Notes.

Lecanora loekoesii is similar to L. anhuiensis in having somewhat yellowish-brown apothecial discs, a granulose epihymenium and small crystals in the amphithcium, but differs in having relatively larger ascospores (12.1-)12.6-15.3(-16.2) × (7-)7.5-8.5(-9) µm in size and producing usnic and norstictic acid in addition to atranorin and zeorin [according to Lü et al. (2011)]. In the species delimitation of the L. subfusca group, the type of epihymenial crystals is one of the most important diagnostic characters, as illustrated by Brodo (1984). The original description mentioned that the epihymeniun of L. loekoesii contains fine crystals. Subsequently, Wang et al. (2013) examined the holotype and 68 Chinese specimens, suggesting that the crystals are, in fact, coarse. Both types can be distinguished by examining their solubility in N: fine crystals are insoluble in N, while coarse crystals dissolve in N ( Brodo 1984). We found that the epihymenial crystals are insoluble in N, indicating the presence of fine crystals, consistent with Lü et al. (2011) and Qiu and Lü (2022).

Lecanora shangrilaensis , with yellow to yellowish-brown apothecial discs, a granulose epihymenium and small crystals in the amphithecium, might also be confused with L. anhuiensis . However, it can be easily distinguished by the presence of coarse epihymenial crystals, K-soluble crystals in the amphithecium and the production of usnic acid instead of atranorin. Lecanora weii is also similar to L. anhuiensis in forming a granulose epihymenium, an amphithecium with K-insoluble small crystals and the presence of atranorin and zeorin, but differs in having heavily pruinose apothecial discs, an epihymenium with coarse crystals (K-sol, N-sol) and 12-16-spored asci ( Han et al. 2009).

Additional specimens examined.

China: Anhui Prov.: Lu’an Ci., Jinzhai Co., The main peak of the Tiantangzhai , Ta-pieh Mountain , 31°6′20″N, 115°46′15″E, alt. 1720 m, on bark, 12 Oct 2020, Ren Qiang 20200748a (HMAS-L-0147384); Anqing Ci., Yuexi Co. , Yangtianwo , Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve , 31°58′11″N, 116°04′10″E, alt. 1160 m, on bark, 15 Oct 2020, Yao Zongting 20200911b (HMAS-L-0147400); Lu′an Ci., Jinzhai Co. , JiangjunYan of the TiantangZhai , 31°12′26″N, 115°76′61″E, alt. 1501 m, on bark of Rhododendron , 19 Sep 2022, Zhang Yanyun 22-956 (AHUB-00810); Anqing Ci., Yuexi Co. , Yangtianwo , Luchai River , 31°03′94″N, 116°11′38″E, alt. 850 m, on the bark of Pine , 20 Sep 2022, Zhang Yanyun 22-985 (AHUB-00839); Anqing Ci., Qianshan Co. , Xianren Cave , Tianzhu Mountain World Geopark , 30°74′50″N, 116°45′30″E, alt. 1377 m, on bark, 21 Sep 2022, Zhang Yanyun 22-1026 (AHUB-00880); Anqing Ci., Qianshan Co. , Qixing Chi , Tianzhu Mountain World Geopark , 30°74′50″N, 116°46′07″E, alt. 1250 m, on the bark of an oak tree, 21 Sep 2022, Zhang Yanyun 22-1040 (AHUB-00894) .

Figures

Figure 3. The new species Lecanora anhuiensis A lichen thallus and apothecia, habit B vertical sections of apothecia in normal light C vertical sections of apothecia in polarized light D 16 - spored ascus E ascospores. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 20 µm (B, C); 10 µm (D, E).