Lecanora kenyana Kirika & Lumbsch

Kirika, Paul, Parnmen, Sittiporn & Lumbsch, Thorsten, 2012, Two new species of Lecanora sensu stricto (Lecanoraceae, Ascomycota) from east Africa, MycoKeys 3, pp. 37-47 : 40-42

Lecanora kenyana Kirika & Lumbsch sp. nov. Figure 1

Type.

Kenya, Eastern Prov., Mount Kenya National Park, Chogoria Track, close to Chogoria Gate, open Juniperus - Podocarpus woodland, 0°09'S, 37°26'E, 2960m alt., 27.01.2010, on Juniperus , P. Kirika 1179, G. Mugambi & H.T. Lumbsch (holotype EA, isotype F).

Description.

Thallus crustose, verrucose to verruculose, thin to thick, glossy, whitish to greenish; margin indistinct; prothallus not visible; sorediate. Soralia roundish, concave, 0.5-1.2 mm diam., remaining distinct or coalescing, with granular soredia, yellowish green to yellowish gray. Apothecia sessile, strictly constricted at base, 0.6-2.0 mm diam., lecanorine; disc red-brown, shiny, plane, epruinose; margin concolourous with thallus, prominent, thick, smooth, entire to verruculose, flexuose. Amphithecial cortex uniform, gelatinous, inspersed with crystals, hyaline, 25-45 µm thick, with hyphae growing out basally. Amphithecium with small and large crystals (=melacarpella-type). Hypothecium hyaline, 25-30 µm high, parathecium hyaline, with yellowish crystals, 5-7 µm thick. Hymenium hyaline, 55-70 µm high, clear. Epihymenium red–brown, 10-12 µm thick, with numerous, small crystals; pigmentation and crystals dissolving in K (= pulicaris–type). Paraphyses sparingly branched, apically slightly swollen, hyaline. Asci clavate, 50-60 × 10-14 µm, 8-spored. Ascospores ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid, 12-17 × 4.5-6.5 µm. Pycnidia not seen.

Chemistry.

Thallus and apothecial margin K+ yellow, C-, KC–, containing atranorin (minor), and usnic acid (major).

Etymology.

The new species is named after the country Kenya where the new species has been found.

Notes.

Lecanora kenyana is characterized by relatively large, red-brown apothecia with a constricted base, a melacarpella-type amphithecium, pulicaris-type epihymenium, the presence of usnic acid as major constituent, and the presence of soralia. There are only few sorediate Lecanora sensu stricto species with usnic acid, including Lecanora brodoana , Lecanora elatinoides , Lecanora floridula , Lecanora jamesii , Lecanora mobergiana , and Lecanora transvaalensis ( Brodo and Elix 1993; Lumbsch and Elix 1998; Lumbsch et al. 1995; Lumbsch and Nash 1995). The saxicolous Lecanora brodoana and Lecanora mobergiana differ in having an egranulose epihymenium among other characters, whereas Lecanora elatinoides (containing pannarin) and Lecanora jamesii (containing 2-O-methylsulphurellin) are readily distinguished by their alter native chemistry and smaller ascospores. Similar species include Lecanora floridula described from Florida (USA) and Lecanora transvaalensis from South Africa. The former species can be distinguished by having smaller apothecia (up to 1 mm), thinner and poorly developed amphithecial cortex, a chlarotera-type epihymenium, smaller ascospores, and the presence of unidentified triterpenes ( Lumbsch et al. 1995). Lecanora transvaalensis differs from Lecanora kenyana in having smaller apothecia (up to 0.9 mm), a thinner and poorly developed amphithecial cortex, and smaller, broadly ellipsoid ascospores (9.5-11.5 × 7.0-8.5 µm). Further, it contains unidentified terpenoids ( Lumbsch et al. 1995).

Ecology and distribution.

At present this species is known from bark of juniper trees in open habitats at altitudes above 2800m in forests dominated by Hagenia and Podocarpus . Associated lichens included Heterodermia leucomelos , Lecanora caesiorubella , Leptogium laceroides , Lobaria pulmonaria , Pannaria fulvescens , Physcia albata , Pseudocyphellaria aurata , Physcia crocata , Varicellaria velata , and several Usnea spp.

Additional specimen examined.

Kenya: Eastern Prov., Mt. Kenya National Park, Sirimon route, ca. 3km for KWS gate towards Old Moses Camp, 00°00'N, 37°15'E, mature montane forest with Podocarpus , Olea , Hagenia and Arundinaria alpina , 2870m, on bark, 7.10.2010, P. Kirika 2051, G. Mugambi, G. Gatere and M. Mutembei (EA).