Orbilia eucalypti (W. Phillips & Harkn.) Sacc., Syll. Fung. (Abellini)

Quijada, Luis, Baral, Hans-Otto & Beltrán-Tejera, Esperanza, 2016, A revision of the genus Orbilia in the Canary Islands, Phytotaxa 284 (4), pp. 231-262 : 247-250

Orbilia eucalypti (W. Phillips & Harkn.) Sacc., Syll. Fung. (Abellini) 8: 628 (1889) ( Fig. 10 )

Apothecia 0.4–1.1(–1.4) mm in diam., 0.1–0.3 mm high, scattered to gregarious, light orange yellow (70. l. OY) to deep orange (51. deep O), superficial, disc slightly concave to flat, round to slightly undulating, margin distinct and smooth. Asci *(40)48–53(61) × (3.3)3.7–4.4 μm, †(32)38–43(49.5) × 2.5–3.4 μm; cylindric-clavate, 8-spored, spores 1-seriate with 2–5 lower spores inverted, pars sporifera *14–26 μm; with a long thin bifurcate base. Ascospores *(3.5)4.3–4.7(5.7) × (1.7)2–2.4 μm, †3.5–4.8 × 1.4–2 μm; ellipsoid to fusoid-clavate, apex rounded to obtuse, straight to inequilateral, rarely slightly curved in the narrower lower part; SBs *(0.2)0.4–0.5(0.8) μm diam., globose, surrounded by 2–4 LBs of similar size. Paraphyses medium to strongly clavate (capitate), sometimes slightly spathulate, 2–4-septate; terminal cell *(14.5)19–21.5(25.5) × (2.2)3–3.3(4) μm, cell below *(6.3)8.8–10.5(13.2) × 1.4–2.3 μm; usually branched below second cell; usually without or with bright yellow (84. s. Y) exudate over paraphyses (0.3–1.6 μm thick), continuous or finely granular, firmly attached; SCBs globose, light gray (264. l. Gray), *0.3–2.8 μm diam., sparse to abundant in the apical cell. Ectal excipulum at base and middle flanks of textura angularis to t. globosa, *48–117 μm thick; at margin and upper flank of t. angularis to t. prismatica, *8–30 μm thick; hyaline, not gelatinized, with or without a continuous or wrinkled to granular layer of grayish yellow (90. gy. Y) to medium orange (53. m. O) amorphous exudate at margin, 0.9–2.5 μm thick. Cells of ectal excipulum *(7.5)11–13(18) × (4.5)8–9.5(11.5) μm at base and lower flank, wall thickness *0.2–0.8 μm; *(5)6.3–7(8) × (2.6)3.4–4(5.8) μm at margin, without or with sparse, light gray (264. l. Gray) globose SCBs in marginal cells, 0.6–1.6 μm diam.

Previously reported specimens revised and corrected (all as Orbilia alnea in Beltrán-Tejera et al. 2008 and Korf 1992): — SPAIN. Canary Islands: Gomera, Hermigua, National Park of Garajonay, 28°06’52’’N, 17°13’46’’W, 1090 m, evergreen laurel forest, on Laurus novocanariensis , 14 February 2001, E. Beltrán-Tejera et al. ( TFC Mic. 14333!). Idem, Vallehermoso, 28°06’32’’N, 17°15’44’’W, 1090 m, evergreen laurel forest, on Euphorbia berthelotii , 20 January 2001, E. Beltrán-Tejera et al. ( TFC Mic. 14352!). Idem, Peraza, (coordinates, altitude and vegetation no data), in xerophytic zone, on midrib of palm, 13 January 1990, R. P. Korf et al. ( CUP-MM 2675, probably O. eucalypti based on measures and drawing of the publication). Idem, El Rosario, La Esperanza, (coordinates and vegetation no data), 1021–1066 m on bark of unidentified substrate, 17 February 1990, R. P. Korf et al. ( CUP-MM 2726, idem).

Additional specimens examined:— SPAIN. Canary Islands: Tenerife, Adeje, Barranco de Erques, 28°09’46’’N, 16°46’54’’W, 225 m, Euphorbia balsamifera scrub, on wood of Euphorbia balsamifera , 6 December 2009, L. Quijada & R. Castro ( TFC Mic. 22644!). Idem, on wood of Euphorbia lamarckii , 6 December 2009, L. Quijada & R. Castro ( TFC Mic. 22650!, 22652!, 22653!, 22654!, 22658!). Idem, Lomo el Dornajito, 28°11’33’’N, 16°40’05’’W, 2081 m, Canary pine woodland with summit brooms, on wood of Pinus canariensis , 12 December 2011, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 23291!). Idem, 19 April 2012, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 23449!). Arafo, Montaña Ismana, 28°22’22’’N, 16°27’39’’W, 1854 m, typical Canary pine woodland, on wood of Pinus canariensis , 20 June 2014, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 21138!). Arico, Morro de la Caleta, 28°10’11’’N, 16°25’52’’W, 40 m, Euphorbia balsamifera scrub, on wood of Euphorbia balsamifera , 5 February 2009, L. Quijada & E. Rodríguez ( TFC Mic. 22517!, 22526!, 22527!). Idem, 22 March 2009, L. Quijada & E. Rodríguez ( TFC Mic. 21747!, 21759!, 21760!, 21761!, 21762!, 21763!, 21764!, 21765!, 21766!). Idem, Lomo las Toscas, 28°08’33’’N, 16°27’09’’W, 39 m, Euphorbia balsamifera scrub, on wood of Euphorbia balsamifera , 17 October 2009, L. Quijada & E. Rodríguez ( TFC Mic. 22424!, 22437!, 22429!, 22431!, 22433!). Buenavista del Norte, Teno Rural Park, Lomo las Toldas, 28°21’33’’N, 16°53’58’’W, 174 m, Euphorbia balsamifera scrub, on wood of Euphorbia aphylla , 8 November 2009, L. Quijada & E. Rodríguez ( TFC Mic. 22493!, 22496!). Idem, on wood of Euphorbia lamarckii , 8 Nov 2009, L. Quijada & E. Rodríguez ( TFC Mic. 22498!). Idem, 27 December 2012, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 23827!, 23829!). Idem, on wood of Euphorbia balsamifera , 27 December 2012, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 23834!). Idem, on wood of Euphorbia aphylla , 27 December 2012, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 23837!, 23838!). Idem, on wood of Euphorbia aphylla , 18 May 2013, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 24224!, 24223!). Fasnia, La Morra los Cardones, 28°14’47’’N, 16°25’47’’W, 346 m, Euphorbia atropurpurea scrub, on wood of Euphorbia atropurpurea , 5 February 2010, L. Quijada & J. Díaz-Armas ( TFC Mic. 22831!). Idem, 18 December 2013, L. Quijada, J. Díaz-Armas & I. Pérez-Vargas ( TFC Mic. 24398!, 24403!, 24405!). Granadilla de Abona, La Martela, 28°08’29’’N, 16°37’11’’W, 1195 m, typical Canary pine woodland, on wood of Euphorbia lamarckii , 9 March 2013, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 23947!). Guía de Isora, next to National Park of Teide, El Morro los Cerrillos, 28°15’10’’N, 16°42’38’’W, 2010 m, meso-oromediterranean summit broom scrub, on wood of Adenocarpus viscosus , 7 February 2014, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 24485!). Güimar, Las Salinas, 28°18’13’’N, 16°21’51’’W, 7 m, Euphorbia balsamifera scrub, on wood of Euphorbia balsamifera , 5 November 2009, L. Quijada & E. Rodríguez ( TFC Mic. 22465!, 22472!, 22481!, 22482!). Idem, Montaña Colorada, 28°18’37’’N, 16°22’16’’W, 103 m, Euphorbia balsamifera scrub, on wood of Euphorbia balsamifera , 4 January 2014, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 24464!, 24465!, 24466!, 24467!). Idem, on wood of Euphorbia canariensis , 4 January 2014, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 24474!). Idem, on wood of Euphorbia lamarckii , 4 January 2014, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 24470!, 24471!). Idem, 22 November 2014, L. Quijada, R. Negrín & J. Kout ( TFC Mic. 21551!). La Laguna, Anaga Rural Park, Andén de la Cruz, 28°34’03’’N, 16°18’06’’W, 337 m, Euphorbia canariensis scrub, on wood of Euphorbia lamarckii , 11 October 2009, L. Quijada & E. Rodríguez ( TFC Mic. 22368!, 22369!, 22371!). Idem, 29 December 2013, L. Quijada & E. Rodríguez ( TFC Mic. 24456!). La Matanza de Acentejo, Punta del Sol, 28°27’12’’N, 16°28’21’’W, 43 m, Euphorbia canariensis scrub, on wood of Euphorbia lamarckii , 2 March 2013, L. Quijada & I. Pérez-Vargas ( TFC Mic. 23895!, 23896!, 23897!). Idem, on bark and wood of Rumex lunaria , 2 March 2013, L. Quijada & I. Pérez-Vargas ( TFC Mic. 23888!). La Orotava, Lomo Tieso, 28°19’08’’N, 16°33’29’’W, 1785 m, Canary pine woodland with summit brooms, on wood of Chamaecytisus proliferus , 28 March 2013, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 24003!). Idem, Montaña los Escodesos, 28°20’46’’N, 16°31’04’’W, 1430 m, humid Canary pine woodland, on wood of Chamaecytisus proliferus , 19 December 2011, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 23311!). Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Anaga Rural Park, Hoya el Viñátigo, 28°31’42’’N, 16°16’40’’W, 782 m, dry evergreen laurel forest, on wood of Laurus novocanariensis , 5 February 2011, L. Quijada, R. Castro, A. Romero & E. Rodríguez ( TFC Mic. 23099!). Idem, Descansaderos de Tierra, 28°32’21’’N, 16°13’25’’W, 861 m, Erica platycodon ridge-crest evergreen forest, on wood of Morella faya , 7 March 2012, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 23386!). Idem, Hoya el Laurel, 28°31’53’’N, 16°11’53’’W, 305 m, Euphorbia canariensis scrub, on wood of Euphorbia lamarckii , 5 March 2013, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 23908!, 23910!, 23912!). Santiago del Teide, La Gollada, 28°16’45’’N, 16°48’05’’W, 1046 m, Euphorbia atropurpurea scrub, on wood of Euphorbia atropurpurea , 13 April 2013, L. Quijada, C. Gonzalez-Montelongo & I. Pérez-Vargas ( TFC Mic. 24078!, 24083!). San Miguel de Abona, Llanos de Amarilla, 28°00’59’’N, 16°38’02’’W, 35 m, Euphorbia balsamifera scrub, on wood of Euphorbia balsamifera , 14 April 2009, L. Quijada & E. Rodríguez ( TFC Mic. 22043!). Tacoronte, La Cardonera, 28°29’47’’N, 16°25’29’’W, 58 m, Euphorbia balsamifera scrub, on wood of Euphorbia balsamifera , 26 November 2009, L. Quijada & E. Rodríguez ( TFC Mic. 22623!, 22624!). Idem, 30 October 2013, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 24346!, 24352!, 24353!).

Distribution and ecology:— Due to its taxonomical problems, which involve frequent confusion, e.g., with Orbilia coccinella and O. xanthostigma , we only show here the distribution and ecology found in the literature for specimens reported under the name O. eucalypti . This species has been reported in northern hemisphere in Europe ( France, Norway, Lithuania, Luxembourg, United Kingdom) and North America (California). Growing on angiosperms ( Laurus , Phoenix , Quercus ), rarely gymnosperms (cf. Taxu s), also on succulents ( Euphorbia ). Occurring throughout the year, especially from autumn to spring ( Baral & Kutorga 2010, GBIF, Korf 1992, Beltrán-Tejera et al. 2008). The species shows the highest ecological amplitude of the genus Orbilia in Macaronesia. It appears from the coast to the summit in the Canary Islands. Occurring in the driest vegetation ( Euphorbia scrubs in the lowlands), as well in the laurel forest on the northern slopes and also in the pine forest at northern and southern slopes, at mid elevations (500–1500 m) where the pluviometry is the highest, and also in the broom summit scrubs at the top of the islands, characterized by harsh climatic conditions (day/night temperature) with snow precipitation during the cold period.

Remarks:— Orbilia eucalypti has a complicated taxonomical history due to its confusion with other taxa of Orbilia , especially with O. coccinella and O. xanthostigma . The true identity of O. coccinella as a species with 16- spored asci and strongly curved spores as well as the synonymization of O. alnea with O. eucalypti were revealed based on type studies, being briefly pointed out in Baral & Kutorga (2010) and treated in detail in Baral et al. (in prep.). The first name commonly used to refer to species of Orbilia with small ellipsoid ascospores was O. coccinella Fr. ( Nylander 1869, Karsten 1869, Gillet 1882, Saccardo 1889, etc.), a name which was based on the illegitime name Peziza coccinella Sommerf. Nannfeldt (1932: 252) had re-examined Sommerfelt’s type and found it greatly different from the current concept, but apparently did not recognize its distinctive hymenial characters. Based on Nannfeldt’s note, the name O. alnea Velen. was much later adopted for the ellipsoid-spored species. This name reappeared apparently for the first time in Clark (1980), followed by different authors ( Ellis & Ellis 1985, Korf 1992). For this reason, Liu et al. (2006) cited the present taxon as O. coccinella s. auct. (= O. alnea ). However, Ellis & Ellis (and also Clark) made a distinction among British specimens between O. alnea with orange apothecia and narrowly ellipsoid spores 3–5 × 1–1.5 μm, and O. coccinella with smaller red apothecia and spores 4–5 × 2.5 μm.

In the original description, Orbilia eucalypti was described with tiny reddish to flesh coloured apothecia with smooth margin, asci well defined, ovoid-ellipsoid ascospores 7 × 3.5 μm (an error for 7 × 2.5 μm, according to the sketch in the holotype convolute in K, †5.2–7 × 1.8–2.4 μm when re-examined), and filiform paraphyses with a pyriform apex ( Saccardo 1889). In Baral et al. (in prep.) the concept of this species will include a huge number of collections, with combined data of ascospores being *(3)3.5–6(9) × 1.8–2.5(3) μm, which agrees with the present Macaronesian data. O. eucalypti varies in spore size among collections, and this was also observed in the samples from Tenerife.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Morphological features of Orbilia eucalypti. 1. Fresh and rehydrated apothecia. 2. Excipular tissues in median section. 3. Living ascospores. 4. Living and dead asci. 5. Living paraphyses. 500 μm= 1a–j; 50 μm= 2; 10 μm= 3a–d, 4a–c, 5a–e. Mounted in: CR= 4b, 5a; H 2 O= 2, 3a–d, 4a, 4c, 5b–e. Photos: TFC Mic. 23386= 1d; TFC Mic. 23449= 1a–c, 2, 3a, 4b, 5a; TFC Mic. 23827= 1g, 5b; TFC Mic. 23834= 1e, 3d; TFC Mic. 23888= 1f, 3c, 5c; TFC Mic. 23895= 1h, 3b, 5d; TFC Mic. 24078= 1j, 4a; TFC Mic. 24223= 1i, 4c, 5e.