Varicellaria kasandjeffii (Szatala) Schmitt & Lumbsch

Schmitt, Imke, Otte, Juergen, Parnmen, Sittiporn, Sadowska-Des, Anna D., Luecking, Robert & Lumbsch, H. Thorsten, 2012, A new circumscription of the genus Varicellaria (Pertusariales, Ascomycota), MycoKeys 4, pp. 23-36 : 26-27

Varicellaria kasandjeffii (Szatala) Schmitt & Lumbsch comb. nov.

Basionym.

Pertusaria kasandjeffii Szatala. Magy. Bot. Lapok 29: 83. 1930. Type. Bulgaria, Cepelarska planina, in monte Turluka, par Pamsakli, 1500m alt., 6.1929, Szatala (isotype HBG-1233).

This species is only known from a few localities in Bulgaria and Romania ( Hanko 1983). Since no fresh material was available, we could not generate molecular data. However, the species agrees morphologically and chemically with the Varicellaria -group (Fig. 2) and in fact its distinction from Pertusaria lactea is not entirely clear. Both taxa contain lecanoric and variolaric acid, but Pertusaria kasandjeffii differs in being esorediate and having a thick, bulbate thallus. Additional collections are required to test whether Pertusaria kasandjeffii is indeed different from Pertusaria lactea .