Cryptothecia elata Jagadeesh & G.P. Sinha, 2016

Jagadeesh Ram, T. A. M. & Sinha, G. P., 2016, A world key to Cryptothecia and Myriostigma (Arthoniaceae), with new species and new records from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, Phytotaxa 266 (2), pp. 103-114 : 105-107

Cryptothecia elata Jagadeesh & G.P. Sinha , sp. nov. ( Figs 1B & 2B )

MycoBank No.: MB 817296

Cryptothecia with homoiomerous thallus; whitish, distinctly raised, rounded, up to 2 mm diam. ascigerous areas; 8-spored asci; broadly ovoid to ellipsoid, 10–19 × 5–9 septate, (72–)84–122 × (25–)36–62(–72) μm ascospores and 2’- O -methylmicrophyllinic acid.

Type: — INDIA. Andaman Islands, South Andaman, Baratang Island, Gandhighat Mangrove forest, 12°18’39.6” N, 92°47’38.4” E, alt. 6 m, on Rhizophora , 22.2.2013, T. A. M. Jagadeesh Ram 2551 (Holotype CAL).

Thallus crustose, corticolous, epiperidermal, firmly attached, irregular, up to 6 cm across, whitish grey, smooth, lacking isidia and soredia, 35–80 μm thick, homoiomerous, ecorticate, with numerous 3–15 μm wide calcium oxalate crystals; prothallus distinct, byssoid, comprising mainly of interwoven and radiating hyphae, whitish, ± evenly scattered, up to 2 mm wide, forming a dark brown line while bordering different species; photobiont trentepohlioid, cells rounded to oblong, 7–11 × 5–7 μm. Ascomata (ascigerous areas) delimited, whitish, distinctly raised, usually rounded, linear, up to 2 mm diam. and 0.6 mm high, densely pruinose, not covered by photobiont layer. Paraphysoids tightly enclosing the asci, I + pale blue, KI+ blue. Asci frequent, aggregated in whitish ascigerous areas, externally not visible, globose to subglobose, 8-spored, c. 130–170 × 110–150 μm. Ascospores colourless, broadly ovoid to ellipsoid, usually straight, muriform, 10–19 × 5–9 septate, with large ± equal central cells and a peripheral ring of small cells, (72–) 84–122 × (25–)36–62(–72) μm (n=16). Chemistry: Thallus and ascigerous areas K –, C –, KC–, P –; UV –; I + blue and KI+ blue in patches (in section); 2’- O -methylmicrophyllinic acid (major).

Notes: — Cryptothecia elata is characterized by the homoiomerous thallus with distinctly raised ascomata, (72–) 84–122 × (25–)36–62(–72) μm ascospores and 2’- O -methylmicrophyllinic acid as lichen substance. Cryptothecia aleurinoides Aptroot & Wolseley (in Wolseley & Aptroot 2009: 416) and C. galapagoana are the other species having methylmicrophyllinic acid derivatives as major lichen substances, but differ in small ascospores and the ascigerous areas not raised above the thallus. Further, C. galapagoana additionally has confluentic and 2’- O -methylperlatolic acids ( Wolseley & Aptroot 2009, Bungartz et al. 2013).

Distribution and habitat: — Cryptothecia elata is known from mangrove and beach forests of South Andaman of the Andaman Islands.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to its distinctly raised ascomata (ascigerous areas).

Additional specimen examined: — INDIA. Andaman Islands, South Andaman, Wandoor, Beach forest,

11°37’19.0” N, 92°37’14.5” E, alt. 8 m, on Calophyllum inophyllum , 3.10.2015, T.A.M. Jagadeesh Ram 4646 (PBL).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Cryptothecia albomaculans (holotype), part of thallus with white maculiform ascigerous areas. B. C. elata (holotype), part of thallus with white raised ascigerous areas. C. C. elongata (holotype), part of thallus with slightly raised ascigerous areas. D. C. superphyllinica (holotype), part of thallus with white raised ascigerous areas. E. Myriostigma nicobaricum (holotype), part of thallus with white raised ascigerous areas. F. M. nicobaricum (paratype). Scales:A–F=1 mm.

FIGURE 2. A. Cryptothecia albomaculans (holotype), ascospores. B. C. elata (holotype), ascospores. C–D. C. elongata (holotype). C. Ascus. D. Ascospores. E. C. superphyllinica (holotype), ascospores. F. Myriostigma nicobaricum (holotype), ascospores. Scales=20 μm.