Aspicilia goettweigensis (Zahlbr.) Hue

Szczepańska, Katarzyna, Kukwa, Martin, Guzow-Krzemińska, Beata & Urbaniak, Jacek, 2023, New and rare lichens of the family Megasporaceae discovered in Poland, Phytotaxa 598 (2), pp. 133-144 : 134-136

Aspicilia goettweigensis (Zahlbr.) Hue

Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, 5 ser. 2(1): 112. 1910 ≡ Lecanora goettweigensis Zahlbr., Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 20: 345. 1905. Fig. 1A .

Thallus lichenized, crustose, squamulose-areolate, olive-brown to olive-grey, matt. Areoles thin, flat and smooth at the margin of the thallus to thick and forming small squamules in the centre. Squamules irregular, white pruinose on the edges, partially erected and overlapping, convex and ear-shaped with medulla visible from underneath, 0.5–0.8 mm in diam. Prothallus rarely visible, fibrous, dark olive-grey. Apothecia rare, immersed, 1 to 3 per areole, 0.2–1.0 mm in diam., thalline margin same colour as the thallus, thin, white pruinose and radially incised on the inside edge, disc black, rounded, flat and matt. Hymenium colourless, 80–100 μm tall with submoniliform paraphyses (3–4 globose apical cells), epihymenium green-brown to olive-brown, N+ green intensifying, K+ yellowish brown (Caesiocinerea-green), hypothecium colourless. Asci 8-spored, ascospores hyaline, simple, narrowly ellipsoid, 18–25 × 8–12 μm. Conidia filiform, 14–20 × 1 μm.

Chemistry: According to Paukov et al. (2016), A. goettweigensis contains stictic acid (major) with norstictic and connorstictic acids (both minor) in the medulla. One Polish specimen lacked secondary substances (Hb. Szczepańska 1333), but the BLAST analyses of the nucITS rDNA sequence undoubtedly identified it as A. goettweigensis (see below).

Ecology and distribution: Aspicilia goettweigensis is a rare and poorly known species that has been recorded from only a few European countries, including Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland ( Paukov et al. 2016; Nimis et al. 2018; Nimis & Martellos 2022). It occurs on basic and ultramafic rocks, including basalt, serpentinite, syenite and porphyry ( Paukov et al. 2016). In Poland, the species has been reported from the Sudety Mts in the vicinity of the town of Jelenia Góra ( Nowak & Tobolewski 1975) and in the Karpaty Mts in the Orawsko-Podhalańskie Depression ( Bielczyk 2003).

All of the new A. goettweigensis localities presented in this paper are located in the area of low mountains in Lower Silesia (south-western Poland). An additional record was found after revision of the Stein’s specimen stored in the WRSL herbarium, which was originally identified as Aspicilia gibbosa (Ach.) Körb. All of the recorded specimens were found growing on silicate rocks in exposed locations, influenced by high insolation and rather low moisture at altitudes of up to 500 m.

Notes: Aspicilia goettweigensis can be confused with other members of the genus, especially A. laevata (Ach.) Arnold and A. verrucigera Hue , due to the very similar sizes of the ascospores and conidia, and the secondary chemistry. The most important distinguishing feature of A. goettweigensis , however, is the appearance of the thallus, which consists of characteristic overlapping and convex squamules. In the literature, these squamules are described as hollow, cracking into “popcorn-like tufts”, and showing white medulla in well-developed specimens ( Paukov et al. 2016). In addition, unlike A. goettweigensis , A. laevata prefers shady and moist habitats, close to water or located in forests ( Wirth 1995, Fletcher et al. 2009).

The nucITS marker was sequenced from four specimens ( Table 1 ), and the BLAST analyses showed 98% to 100% identity with the sequences of A. goettweigensis deposited in GenBank ( Table 2 , data for A. goettweigensis ). Sequences of the best hits originated from Russia and the Czech Republic (KX159292 and KX159293, respectively).

Material examined: POLAND. Dolnośląskie province: Sudety Mts, Jeleniogórska Basin, Łomnickie Hills , Witosza Hill near Staniszów village , elev. 484 m, on granite rock, March 1882, B. Stein ( WRSL-5791 ); Sudety Mts , Opawskie Mts , Karolinki rocks near Jarnołtówek village , elev. 400 m, on natural outcrop of siliceous rocks in an oak grove, 18 February 2020, K. Szczepańska 1318, 1320 (Hb. Szczepańska); Sudeckie Foothills, Strzegomskie Hills, Krzyżowa Hill, elev. 360 m, on basalt rock, 19 May 2013, K. Szczepańska 1092, 1093 (Hb. Szczepańska); Sudeckie Foothills, Kaczawskie Foothills, Organy Wielisławskie quarry in Sędziszowa village , elev. c. 300 m, on porphyry rocks, 8 May 2020, K. Szczepańska 1333 (Hb. Szczepańska).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Specimens treated.A. Aspicilia goettweigensis (Hb. Szczepańska 1093). B. Aspicilia polychroma (Hb. Szczepańska 1022). C. Aspicilia verrucigera (Hb. Szczepańska 1272). D. Oxneriaria supertegens (KRAM L-34348). E. Sagedia mastrucata (Hb. Szczepańska 1186). F. Sagedia zonata (KRAM L-42336). Scales: 2 mm. Fot. K. Szczepańska.

Tables

TABLE 2. The most similar sequences obtained from BLAST analyses of the newly generated nucITS rDNA sequences from specimens analysed in this work. GenBank accession numbers, localities, voucher data and references are given.

Species	Locality	Voucher specimens	References	GenBank no. nucITS
Aspicilia goettweigensis	Austria	J. Vondrák 14026 (PRA, topotype)	Paukov et al. 2016	KX159289
Aspicilia goettweigensis	Russia	AGP20120513-03 (UPS,UFU)	Paukov et al. 2016	KX159292
Aspicilia goettweigensis	Czech Republic	Frolov 51 (herb. I. Frolov, dupl. UPS, UFU)	Paukov et al. 2016	KX159293
Aspicilia goettweigensis	Czech Republic	J. Vondrák 23397 (PRA)	Vondrák et al. 2022	OK332934
Aspicilia goettweigensis	Czech Republic	J. Vondrák 23713 (PRA)	Vondrák et al. 2022	OK332935
Aspicilia verrucigera	Czech Republic	J. Vondrák 24214 (PRA)	Vondrák et al. 2022	OK332936
Aspicilia verrucigera	Sweden	Tibell 22669 (UPS)	Nordin et al. 2007	EU057939
Sagedia aff. mastrucata	Czech Republic	Z. Palice 23193 (PRA)	Urbanavichus et al. 2020	MK778583
Sagedia aff. mastrucata	Czech Republic	Malíček 14741	Malíček 2022	OP730575
Sagedia zonata	Sweden	Nordin 6219 (UPS)	Nordin et al. 2007	EU057943
Sagedia zonata	Sweden	Nordin 5486 (UPS)	Nordin et al. 2007	EU057944
Sagedia zonata	Sweden	Nordin 5461 (UPS)	Nordin et al. 2007	EU057945
Sagedia zonata	Norway	Owe-Larsson 8942 (UPS)	Nordin et al. 2007	EU057946
Sagedia zonata	Sweden	Owe-Larsson H-254a (UPS)	Nordin et al. 2007	EU057947
Sagedia zonata	Sweden	Nordin 5998 (UPS)	Nordin et al. 2007	EU057949
Sagedia zonata	Sweden	Nordin 5932 (UPS)	Nordin et al. 2007	EU057950
Sagedia zonata	Sweden	Nordin 6035 (UPS)	Nordin et al. 2007	EU057951
Sagedia zonata	Sweden	Nordin 6006 (UPS)	Nordin et al. 2007	EU057952
Sagedia zonata	Sweden	Nordin 5949 (UPS)	Nordin et al. 2007	EU057953