Phaeophyscia microspora Aptroot & Schumm

Niazi, Abdul Rehman, Afshan, Najam-ul-Sehar, Naseer, Arooj, Nadeem, Muhammad, Iftikhar, Fatima, Fayyaz, Iram, Ashraf, Asma, Imtiaz, Sawera, Fatima, Shahzadi Qamar & Khalid, Abdul Nasir, 2023, A new species and a new record of the genus Phaeophyscia Moberg (Lecanorales, Physciaceae) from Pakistan supported by phenotypic and molecular phylogenetic analyses, Cryptogamie, Mycologie 20 (4), pp. 51-59 : 56-57

Phaeophyscia microspora Aptroot & Schumm

( Fig. 3 )

Virtuelles Herbarium de Flechtengattungen Hyperphyscia , Paeophyscia , Physcia und Physconia : 193 ( Schumm & Aptroot 2019).

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Pakistan. Margalla Hills, Islamabad, 1604 m alt., on tree bark, 33°41’35”N, 73°03’50”E, 09.IV.2019, A. Ashraf, K. Habib & M. Usman, T5-02 (LAH[LAH37622]; GenBank[OQ024193]); Azad Jammu and Kashmir, District Bagh, 33.9259°N, 73.7810°E, 4734 m alt., on tree bark, 10.XI.2021, A. Naseer, B-04 (LAH[LAH37624]; GenBank[OQ073895]); Azad Jammu and Kashmir, District Bagh, 33°55’33.24”N, 73°46’51.6”E, 4734 m alt., on tree bark, 12.XI.2021, A. Naseer, B-05 (LAH[LAH37625]; GenBank[OQ073896]); Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kaghan Valley, Shogran , 34°64’N, 73°46’E, 2362 m alt., on bark, 24.VIII.2021, A. R. Niazi & M. Nadeem, SN-1 ( LAH [ LAH37618 ]; GenBank[ OP933725 ]); Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kaghan Valley, Siri Paya , 33°71’N, 78°08’E, 3000 m alt., on tree bark, 26.VIII.2022, A. R. Niazi & M. Nadeem, BK-14 ( LAH [ LAH37617 ]; GenBank[ OP933722 ]).

CHEMISTRY. — Thallus K-, C-, KC-, P-; no lichen substance detected by TLC.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION. — Pakistani collections of this species are from humid to moist temperate, coniferous forest and scrub forest. The specimens were found on tree bark. The maximum daily temperature of the Himalaya region varies around 30-32°C during the summer, the average winter temperature is 4°C, while Margala Hills have an average maximum temperature of 34.3°C and minimum of 3.4°C with an average rainfall of 1200 mm per year.

DESCRIPTION

Thallus

Foliose, epiphloeodal, rust grey to pale grey, remaining unchanged when wet, loosely attached to substratum, very variable in size, 2-4 cm in diam.

Lobes

Densely, dichotomously or irregularly branched, without pruina, lobe tips creamy white, flat to strongly convex, imbricate, usually upturned near the tips, 0.5-1.5 mm wide.

Soralia and isidia

Absent.

Cortex

Dark brown, paraplectenchymatous, 18-23 µm thick.

Algal layer

28-34 µm thick.

Photobiont cells

Globose, 8-13 µm in diam.

Medulla

White.

Lower surface

Black, usually becoming pale to dark grey towards lobe tips, rhizinate.

Rhizines

Dense, black, simple, 1.3-2.5 mm long.

Lower cortex

Paraplectenchymatous, dark brown, 18-30 µm thick.

Apothecia

Abundant, usually present, 1.5-3 mm in diam., stipitate to very shortly stipitate, the margin entire or becoming regularly crenate, with prominent cortical hairs, epruinose or slightly pruinose.

Disc

Charcoal black, shiny, flat to strongly concave or sometimes convex.

Margins

Prominent, creamy to pale white.

Epihymenium

Light brown to orange, 18-24 µm.

Hymenium

Hyaline to creamy, 70-90 µm.

Hypothecium

Creamy white, 22-28 µm.

Ascus

Cylindrical to clavate, 45-55 ×12-14 µm.

Ascospores

Dark brown, ellipsoid, Physcia - type, 16-20 ×7.5-9 µm.

Paraphyses

Hyaline, branched and anastomosing, 1.7-2.8µm thick, wider at the apex, 3-4 µm thick.

Pycnidia

Not found.

Figures

FIG. 3. — Phaeophyscia microspora Aptroot & Schumm: A, foliose thallus of type specimen (holo-, LAH[LAH37622]); B, apothecia; C, lobe with rhizines; D, section of an apothecium; E, ascus; F, ascospores. Scale bars: A, 1 cm; B, 3 mm; C, 1.5 mm; D, 80 μm; E, 13 μm; F, 8 μm.