Cladonia maasii Ahti & Sipman, 2013

Ahti, Teuvo & Sipman, Harrie J. M., 2013, Ten new species of Cladonia (Cladoniaceae, Lichenized Fungi) from the Guianas and Venezuela, South America, Phytotaxa 93 (1), pp. 25-39 : 29-30

Cladonia maasii Ahti & Sipman , sp. nov. ( Fig. 4 )

Mycobank #MB 803528

Sicut Cladonia peltastica sed differt ramulis rufescentibus et crassioribus et acidum fumarprotocetraricum continente.

Type:— SURINAME. 2 km N of Kamisa Falls in Nickerie R., shrub savanna, 2 July 1968, P.J.M. Maas 3378 (holotype B!, isotype H!, L!) .

Primary thallus squamulose, evanescent, squamules ca. 0.1 mm diam. Podetia 4–6(–10) cm tall, 0.3–1 mm thick, rarely with scattered, small squamules, of indeterminate growth, basic colour whitish grey but exposed parts may become dark brown, forming erect, dense, flat, interwoven mats; branching type anisotomous dichotomy, to a lesser degree trichotomy or tetrachotomy; main stems in part distinguishable; axils commonly perforated; tips erect, divaricate, acute. Podetial surface clearly corticate; cortex smooth to somewhat rugulose, dull, with some ecorticate patches; soredia and squamules lacking. Podetial wall thin, ca. 100– 200 µm; cortex 50 µm; medulla 50–100 µm; stereome ca. 100 µm. Hymenial discs not seen. Conidiomata scarce, at the end of podetia, 200–300 × 100–150 µm, ovoid to ampullaceous, constricted at base, black, content not seen. Chemistry: fumarprotocetraric, tr. protocetraric, homosekikaic and/or sekikaic acids. Colour reactions: P+ red, K–, KC–.

Distribution and ecology:— A Guianan endemic, as far as presently known, represented only by two collections from Suriname and one from Guyana, in shrub savanna, from ca. 200 to 1000 m elev.

Aditional specimens examined (paratypes):— GUYANA. Ituru Yawaruki savanna, white sand areas, Abraham 123 ( BM!) (TLC (F. Oberli, G): with fumarprotocetraric, protocetraric, homosekikaic, and sekikaic acid) . SURINAME. Natuurreservaat Brinckheuvel, Sabanpasi savanne complex, Teunissen & Wildschut LBB 11403 (L!).

Remarks:— Cladonia maasii is named in honour of the collector, Prof. Dr. Paul J.M. Maas, who discovered several important Cladonia sites in the Guianas. The lichen resembles C. peltastica ( Nylander 1874: 70) Müller Argoviensis (1880: 260) but contains fumarprotocetraric acid and tends to get slightly brown and has no usnic acid. Its branchlets are also more robust, with perforated axils, and the ramification is less dense than in C. peltastica . A specimen from Guyana (Mt. Latipu near Kamarang, Sipman & Aptroot 19164, B!) is included here with doubt. It agrees in chemistry but the podetia are more slender.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Cladonia maasii, holotype. Bar = 2 cm.