Lecaimmeria qinghaiensis C.M. Xie & Li S. Wang, 2022

Xie, Cong-Miao, Wang, Li-Song, Zhao, Zun-Tian, Zhang, Yan-Yun, Wang, Xin-Yu & Zhang, Lu-Lu, 2022, Revision of Immersaria and a new lecanorine genus in Lecideaceae (lichenised Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes), MycoKeys 87, pp. 99-132 : 99

Lecaimmeria qinghaiensis C.M. Xie & Li S. Wang sp. nov.

Figure 9f-i

Etymology.

The name " Lecaimmeria qinghaiensis " refers to the location in which the holotype was collected, in “Qinghai”, a province of China.

Type.

China. Qinghai Province: Yushu City, Zaduo County, Sahuteng Town , 4634 m elev., 32°55'N, 95°46'E, on rock, 20 Sept 2020, Li-Song Wang et al. 20-68698 (KUN-holotype) .

Description.

Thallus areolate, yellow-brown, rusty, continuous; areolae 0.5-1.5 mm across, flat, epruinose; margin pruinose, occasionally green pigmented; prothallus black, distinct at the margin. Upper cortex 27.0-38.0 μm thick, brown; epinecral layer 12.0-20.0 μm thick; algal layer 57.0-93.0 μm thick, cells 7.5-12.5 × 5.0-12.5 μm in diam., ellipsoid to round. Apothecia frequent, immersed or isolated from areolae, round or somewhat irregular while immature, ellipsoid and tending to be rectangular or occupying the whole areolae once mature, 0.2-1.3 mm in diam.; disc brown, dark red-brown, flat, occasionally with a fissure when mature, epruinose; margin white, slightly raised. Hymenium 52.0-63.0 μm thick, colourless; paraphyses 2.0-3.0 μm wide, unbranched, not anastomosing; epihymenium 25.0-30.0 μm thick, dark orange-brown; plectenchyma 7.0-18.0 μm thick; subhymenium 50.0-63.0 μm thick, colourless; hypothecium brown. Asci Porpidia -type, cylindrical, eight-spored; ascospores 8.0-15.0 × 5.0-7.5 μm in diam., ellipsoid, not distinctly halonate. Conidiomata rare, immersed, flat, slightly convex, liner, stellate, graphidoid once mature, black, margin pruinose; conidia not seen.

Chemistry.

Thallus K-, C-. Medulla I+ violet. None.

Ecology and distribution.

In China, growing on rock at elevations of 4600-4900 m in the alpine zone. This species is known from Qinghai Province of China.

Notes.

Lecaimmeria qinghaiensis is characterised by the yellow-brown, rusty thallus, the red-brown apothecia often occupying the whole areolae at maturity and the dark orange-brown epihymenium. The phylogenetic results showed that Lecaimmeria tuberculosa is the sister species to L. qinghaiensis which is similar in the appearance of the thallus, but differs in the brown, never rusty thallus, the red-brown apothecia and the green, tuberculiform conidiomata. The red-brown apothecia of Lecaimmeria qinghaiensis resembles L. iranica , but differs in the rusty thallus and the white margin of the apothecia.

Specimens examined (KUN).

China. Qinghai Province: Zaduo Co., Sahuteng Town, 4634 m elev., 32°55'N, 95°46'E, on rock, 2020, Li-Song Wang et al. 20-68698, 4637 m elev., Li-Song Wang et al. 20-68687, 4622 m elev., Li-Song Wang et al. 20-68696; 4790 m elev., 33°31'N, 95°8'E, Xin-Yu Wang et al. 20-3115, 4791 m elev., Xin-Yu Wang et al. 20-3127; Zaqing Village , 4815 m elev., Xin-Yu Wang et al. 20-849 .

Figures

Figure 9. Lecaimmeria orbicularis (a-e KUN 20 - 66753): a-b thallus c apothecial anatomy d ascus (Lugol's iodine) e ascospores. L. qinghaiensis (f-i KUN 20 - 68696): f-g thallus h apothecial anatomy i ascus. Scale bars: 1 mm (a-b, f-g); 20 μm (c, h); 10 μm (d, e, i).