Hypocenomyce scalaris (Ach.) M. Choisy

Guzow-Krzemińska, Beata, Flakus, Adam, Kosecka, Magdalena, Jabłońska, Agnieszka, Rodriguez-Flakus, Pamela & Kukwa, Martin, 2019, New species and records of lichens from Bolivia, Phytotaxa 397 (4), pp. 257-279 : 263-265

* Hypocenomyce scalaris (Ach.) M. Choisy

This species has been reported from Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America ( Timdal 1984; Sipman et al. 2006); in South America it was previously known only from Colombia (Sipman et al. 2006).

Material examined. BOLIVIA. Dept. Chuquisaca: Prov. Zudañez, Área Natural de Manejo Integrado El Palmar, La Cascada below El Palmar, 18º41’23”S, 64º54’26”W, elev. 2740 m, Boliviano-Tucumano forest with Podocarpus , Lauraceae and palms, on palm, 15 July 2015, M. Kukwa 16184 ( LPB, UGDA); sendero El Palmar, 18º41’28”S, 64º54’32”W, elev. 2600–2876 m, forest with palms and shrubs, on palm, 15 July 2015, M. Kukwa 16913e ( LPB, UGDA, as admixture in specimen of Hypotrachyna ).

* Lepra amaroides (H. Magn.) I. Schmitt, Hodkinson & Lumbsch

Type:— URUGUAY. Rivera, Camino de Rivera a Marco Lopez. Sur pierres dans lieu sombre. 24 Feb. 1947, H. S Osorio 1070 (holotype UPS L-22975—picture seen). Analysed by Archer & Elix by HPLC: lichexanthone (major) and hypothamnolic acid (major).

Chemistry: Four chemotypes found in Bolivian material: I with lichexanthone and hypothamnolic acid, II with lichexanthone and squamatic acid, III with lichexanthone and thamnolic acid, and IV with lichexanthone, and barbatic and hypothamnolic acids.

Distribution: Previously known only from Uruguay in South America ( Magnusson 1950).

Notes: Two samples (Kukwa 16901 & 16172) found in the Bolivian material contained lichexanthone and hypothamnolic acid and thus represented Lepra amaroides s.str. (Archer 1993). Additional specimens morphologically very similar to L. amaroides were also studied, but they contained thamnolic acid (Kukwa 16157) or squamatic acid (Kukwa 16633) instead of hypothamnolic acid or additionally barbatic acid (Kukwa 16627, 16640, 16642, 16892, A. Flakus 23898.1); they were all morphologically similar, and also very similar to L. subventosa and L. pseudosubventosa . Specimens from which nucITS sequences were obtained represented most of the chemical variation and haplotype network analyses showed that L. subventosa and L. pseudosubventosa , both containing picrolichenic acid, are different from samples lacking that substance ( Fig. 3 ). As the genetic differences between samples representing Lepra amaroides and those containing barbatic and hypothamnolic acids or thamnolic acid are very low, it was concluded that they represent one species ( Fig. 3 ). No sequence of the squamatic acid chemotype was obtained, but this substance is biogenetically related to barbatic, hypothamnolic and thamnolic acids ( Elix 2014), therefore this chemotype was included in L. amaroides .

The records of an undetermined Pertusaria species, which was reported as a host of Melaspilea tucumana Flakus, Etayo & Kukwa (Flakus et al. 2014) , belong to Lepra amaroides and represent chemotype IV.

According to Archer (1993) L. amaroides was known only in a sterile sorediate stage. Two Bolivian samples (Kukwa 16172 & 16901) are fertile and produce disciform apothecia, which are developing in soralia. Discs are dark brown, white pruinose being exposed in soralia in groups of 1–3. Asci are 1-spored with large ascospores (105–195 × 25–70 μm).

Material examined. BOLIVIA. Dept. Chuquisaca: Prov. Zudañez, Área Natural de Manejo Integrado El Palmar, Muy Orquo, on road from El Palmar to Loman, 18º47’46”S, 64º51’31”W, elev. 2879 m, open area, saxicolous, 14 July 2015, M. Kukwa 16901 ( LPB, UGDA; TLC: lichexanthone and hypothamnolic acid); ibidem; 14 July 2015, M. Kukwa 16892 ( LPB, UGDA; TLC: lichexanthone, barbatic and hypothamnolic acids); La Cascada below de El Palmar, 18º41’23”S, 64º54’26”W, elev. 2740 m, Boliviano-Tucumano forest with Podocarpus , Lauraceae and palms, saxicolous, 15 July 2015, M. Kukwa 16172 ( LPB, UGDA; TLC: lichexanthone and hypothamnolic acid); ibidem, M. Kukwa 16157 ( LPB, UGDA; TLC: lichexanthone, thamnolic acid); Dept. Tarija: Prov. Aniceto Arce, Papachacra, near Papachacra valley, 21°41’14”S, 64°30’19”W, elev. 2050 m, open vegetation with shrubs, 7 Aug. 2012, A. Flakus 23898.1, M. Kukwa 10967a ( KRAM, LPB, UGDA; TLC: lichexanthone, barbatic and hypothamnolic acids); Reserva Nacional de Flora y Fauna Tariquía, close to la Cumbre between Padcaya and campamento los Alisos, 21º59’49”S, 64º36’11”W, elev. 3297 m, open area with Puya and rocks, saxicolous, 24 July 2015, M. Kukwa 16633 ( LPB, UGDA; TLC: lichexanthone, squamatic acid); ibidem, 22º00’00”S, 64º36’29”W, elev. 3158 m, saxicolous, 24 July 2015, M. Kukwa 16627 ( LPB, UGDA; TLC: lichexanthone, and barbatic and hypothamnolic acids); ibidem, 21º59’15”S, 64º36’12”W, elev. 3295 m, open area with rocks, saxicolous, 24 July 2015, M. Kukwa 16640, 16642 ( LPB, UGDA; TLC: lichexanthone, and barbatic and hypothamnolic acids).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Haplotype network showing relationships among ITS haplotypes between Lepra amaroides, L. pseudosubventosa and L. subventosa s.str. Sizes of circles are proportional to the number of specimens per haplotype. Chemotypes are described below specimen’s data. Numbers in brackets near lines between haplotypes represent number of mutational steps.