Cryptothecia elongata 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 : 107

Cryptothecia elongata Jagadeesh & G.P. Sinha , sp. nov. ( Figs 1C & 2C–D )

MycoBank No.: MB 817297

Cryptothecia with heteromerous thallus; raised, irregular, 1–4 mm wide ascigerous areas covered by photobiont layer; 8-spored asci; narrowly ellipsoid-oblong, 16–24 × 2–6 septate, 90–114 × 21–30 μm ascospores, and gyrophoric and lecanoric acids.

Type: — INDIA. Andaman Islands, South Andaman, Baratang Island, Nayadera mangrove forest, 12°05’45.0” N, 92°44’46.6” E, alt. 10 m, on Rhizophora bark, 23.2.2013, T. A. M. Jagadeesh Ram 2568 (Holotype CAL).

Thallus crustose, corticolous, epiperidermal, ± firmly attached, orbicular to suborbicular, up to 7 cm across, whitish grey, smooth, verruculose, felty, lacking isidia and soredia, 74–250 μm thick, heteromerous, ecorticate, with numerous 3–18 μm wide calcium oxalate crystals; prothallus usually distinct, byssoid, comprising mainly of interwoven and radiating hyphae, whitish, up to 3 mm wide; photobiont layer 20–48 μm thick, photobiont trentepohlioid, cells rounded to oblong, 8–12 × 5–8 μm; medulla white, 56–210 μm thick. Ascomata (ascigerous areas) distinct, raised, irregular, extensive, concolourous with the thallus, 1–4 mm wide and 0.45 mm high, not pruinose, covered by photobiont layer. Paraphysoids tightly enclosing the asci, I + pale blue, KI+ blue. Asci frequent, aggregated, globose to subglobose, 8-spored, c. 108–130 × 102–115 μm. Ascospores colourless, narrowly ellipsoid-oblong, ± mustache-shaped, ends rounded and enlarged at middle, muriform, 16–24 × 2–6 septate, with ± equal cells, somewhat fragile, 90–114 × 21–30 μm (n=12). Chemistry: Thallus and ascigerous areas K –, C + red, KC+ red, P –; UV –; I + blue and KI+ blue in patches (in section); gyrophoric acid (major) and lecanoric acid (minor).

Notes: — Cryptothecia elongata is distinct from the other species by the narrowly ellipsoid-oblong, 16–24 × 2–6 septate, 90–114 × 21–30 μm ascospores, and gyrophoric and lecanoric acids. The ascospores somewhat resembles C. macrospora Makhija & Patwardhan (1985: 7) , Herpothallon fertile Aptroot & Lücking (in Aptroot et al. 2009: 40). Cryptothecia macrospora has much broader and large ascospores (82–160 × 36–48 μm) and additionally produces confluentic acid. Herpothallon fertile has large ascospores (75–250 × 30–40 μm) and yellow pigments in the hypothallus ( Aptroot et al. 2009). Cryptothecia striata G. Thor (1991: 278) is the only other species having gyrophoric and lecanoric acids as lichen substances but differs in its 1-spored asci ( Thor 1991).

Distribution and habitat: — Cryptothecia elongata has been found in the type locality where it grows on a mangrove tree, Rhizophora .

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to its elongate and narrow ascospores.

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.