Micarea microsorediata Brand, van den Boom, Guzow-Krzeminska , Serus . & Kukwa

Guzow-Krzeminska, Beata, Serusiaux, Emmanuel, van den Boom, Pieter P. G., Brand, A. Maarten, Launis, Annina, Lubek, Anna & Kukwa, Martin, 2019, Understanding the evolution of phenotypical characters in the Micarea prasina group (Pilocarpaceae) and descriptions of six new species within the group, MycoKeys 57, pp. 1-30 : 1

Micarea microsorediata Brand, van den Boom, Guzow-Krzeminska, Serus. & Kukwa sp. nov. Fig. 2D

Diagnosis.

Species morphologically similar to Micarea viridileprosa , characterised by sorediate thallus, delimited or diffuse and confluent soralia with green or locally bluish soredia produced from the thallus areoles, white and immarginate when mature apothecia, 0.2-0.3 mm in diam., cylindrical to ellipsoidal (0-)1-septate ascospores measuring 9.5-13 × 2.8-3.5 µm and the presence of methoxymicareic acid.

Type.

Poland. Wysoczyzna Żarnowiecka, Pużyckie Łęgi nature reserve, 54°38'N 17°51'E, Circaeo - Alnetum , on wood of log, 12 Aug 2015, M. Kukwa 17053 (holotype UGDA, ITS GenBank accession number: MN095791, mtSSU GenBank accession number: MK562012, Mcm7 GenBank accession number: MN105906).

Description.

Thallus diffuse, up to 10 cm wide, consisting of finely granular soredia, often with a powdery appearance, vivid green or green, sometimes with bluish tinge; prothallus not seen; areoles up to 25 µm in diam., green, soon bursting to produce soredia; soralia at first delimited, produced from small, convex areoles, soon fused and confluent, sometimes forming a sorediate continuous layer; soredia simple, up to 20 µm in diam., sometimes slightly elongated or in more or less rounded consoredia up 35 µm in diam. apothecia rarely present, adnate, first with indistinct margin, then immarginate, 0.2-0.3 mm in diam., white or slightly brownish; excipulum in young apothecia present, 15-25 µm wide, of thin irregular hyphae; hymenium ca. 30‒42 µm tall; epihymenium and hypothecium hyaline; paraphyses thick (in K), branched and anastomosing, ca. 1.2‒1.5 µm wide; asci 29-35 × 7-10 µm, 8-spored; ascospores cylindrical to ellipsoidal, 9.5-13 × 2.8-3.5 µm, (0-)1-septate; micropycnidia present in some specimens, ca. 60 µm in diam., with dark brown tops ( K–); microconidia narrow fusiform to bacilliform, 7 × 0.8 µm; mesopycnidia, mesoconidia 3.8 × 1.4 µm; crystalline granules (studied in polarised light) visible in hymenium and in thallus, soluble in K.

Photobiont micareoid, cells thin-walled, 4 –8(– 9) µm in diam.

Chemistry.

Methoxymicareic acid detected by TLC. Soredia in exposed habitats with Sedifolia-grey pigment, K+ violet.

Habitat and distribution.

The new species occurs on acidic bark of various trees such as Alnus , Betula , Fagus and Quercus , usually in humid forests, also on decaying wood (logs and stumps) and rarely on terrestrial decaying mosses in, for example, steep slopes in heath and dunes. It is a very common species in the south of the Netherlands and some areas in Poland and is mostly found on microhabitats where only few other lichens species co-occur. On several occasions, Normandina pulchella (Borrer) Nyl. and squamules of Cladonia spp. are the only accompanying lichens.

To date, the species has been found in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal.

One specimen of Micarea microsorediata was invaded by Nectriopsis micareae Diederich, van den Boom & Ernst (see below additional specimens examined).

Etymology.

The epithet refers to the production of soredia and the similarity to M. micrococca due to the same secondary chemistry.

Additional specimens examined.

Belgium. Limburg, N of Achel, Rozendaal, 51°17.0'N, 5°29.9'E, 35 m alt., Pinus forest with Betula and Quercus trees, on wood of fallen decaying trunk, 28 Dec. 2018, P. & B. van den Boom 58046 (hb v.d. Boom); NE of Achel, near Tomp, 51°16.10'N, 5°29.8'E, 35 m alt., along small road, Pinus forest with Betula and Quercus trees, on Betula , 28 Dec. 2018, P. & B. van den Boom 58052 (hb v.d. Boom); NE of Lommel, Kolonie, E of ‘Afwateringskanaal’, 51°14.40'N, 5°23.6'E, 50 m alt., Pinus forest, on Prunus , 28 Dec. 2018, P. & B. van den Boom 58054 (hb v.d. Boom); ENE of Lommel, E of Kolonie, 51°15.50'N, 5°24.35'E, 40 m alt., between edge of Pinus forest and edge of reserve Hageven, on Betula and Quercus robur , 28 Dec. 2018, P. & B. van den Boom 58055, 58056 (hb v.d. Boom). Germany. Nedersaksen, N of Bentheim, NE of Wengsel, Isterberg, 52°21.4'N, 7°9.0'E, Pinus forest with some sandstone outcrops, on Quercus rubra , 26 Aug. 2015, M. & D. Brand, P. & B. van den Boom 53633 (hb v.d. Boom). Poland. Bory Tucholskie, Kręgi Kamienne nature reserve, close to Wda river, NW from Odry, 53°53'59.50"N, 17°59'42.07"E, black alders close to river, on Alnus glutinosa , 19 June 2018, M. Kukwa 19991 (UGDA); Równina Bielska, Białowieża Forest, Białowieża National Park, forest section no 256, Peucedano - Pinetum , on twig of Picea abies , Quercus robur and wood of log, May 2014, M. Kukwa 13462, 13660, 13675, 13778, A. Łubek (KTC); ibidem, Pino - Quercetum , on Quercus robur , Aug. 2014, M. Kukwa, 13321, A. Łubek (KTC, UGDA); ibidem, Tilio-Carpinetum , on Quercus robur , Aug. 2014, M. Kukwa 13420a, 13392 (as admixture in a specimen of Biatora ligni-mollis T. Sprib. & Printzen), A. Łubek (KTC, UGDA); ibidem, Carici elongatae - Alnetum , on bark of log, Alnus glutinosa and Picea abies , Aug. 2014, M. Kukwa, 14000, 14002, 14012, 14045, 14109, A. Łubek (KTC, UGDA); ibidem, Circaeo - Alnetum , on wood of snag, Oct. 2014, M. Kukwa, 14139, A. Łubek (KTC); ibidem, Tilio - Carpinetum , on wood of branch of the log, Oct. 2014, M. Kukwa, 14350, A. Łubek (KTC, UGDA); ibidem, Peucedano - Pinetum , on Alnus glutinosa , March 2015, M. Kukwa, 13308, A. Łubek (KTC, UGDA); ibidem, Carici elongatae - Alnetum , on wood of stump, May 2015, M. Kukwa, 15789, A. Łubek (KTC, UGDA); ibidem, Circaeo-Alnetum , on Alnus glutinosa , 29 Sept. 2015, M. Kukwa, 17546, A Łubek (KTC, UGDA); ibidem, Querco - Piceetum , on Carpinus betulus , Aug 2015, M. Kukwa, 17379, 17436, A. Łubek (UGDA; KTC); ibidem, Circaeo - Alnetum , on Alnus glutinosa , 1 Oct. 2015, M. Kukwa, 17592, A Łubek (KTC, UGDA); ibidem, Pino - Quercetum , on wood of log, 4 Oct. 2015, M. Kukwa, 17641, A. Łubek (KTC, UGDA); Wybrzeże Słowińskie, Białogóra nature reserve, forest section no. 14, 54°49'29"N, 17°57'21"E, Empetro nigri - Pinetum , on Pinus sylvestris , 21 April 2010, M. Kukwa 7721 (UGDA); ibidem, forest section no. 22, 54°49'27"N, 17°57'52"E, open area with few trees and Myrica gale , on Betula pendula , 22 Sept. 2010, M. Kukwa, 8280, A. Jabłońska, M. Oset (UGDA); Wysoczyzna Polanowska, Skotawskie Łąki nature reserve, 54°16'03"N, 17°33'37"E, large group of black alders, on Alnus glutinosa , 11 April 2017, M. Kukwa, 19212, 19219 (UGDA); ibidem, by NE part of Lipieniec lake, 54°15'44"N, 17°33'26"E, group of black alder trees on meadow, on Alnus glutinosa , 27 June 2017, M. Kukwa, 19800a, 19801, 19806 (UGDA); ibidem, by unnamed lake (N of Lipieniec lake), 54°15'46"N, 17°33'03"E, black alder forest, by lake, on Alnus glutinosa , Pinus sylvestris and Sambucus nigra , 27 June 2017, M. Kukwa, 19839, 19845, 19849, 19850 (UGDA); Torfowisko Potoczek nature reserve, 54°09'49"N, 16°57'11"E, Vaccinio uliginosi - Betuletum pubescentis , on wood of log and Picea abies , 11 Aug. 2015, M. Kukwa, 16994, 17001a (UGDA); Wysoczyzna Żarnowiecka, Pużyckie Łęgi nature reserve, 54°38'N 17°51'E, Circaeo - Alnetum , on Alnus glutinosa and wood of log, 12 Aug. 2015, M. Kukwa, 17032, 17040, 17053 (UGDA). PORTUGAL. Estremadura, W of Lisbon, WSW of Sintra, WSW of Linhó, along road to Malveira da Serra, nature park Quinta do Pisão, trail in forest with mainly Pinus trees, on Pinus , 38°45.50'N, 9°24.60'W, 160 m alt., 18 Oct. 2015, P. & B. van den Boom 53789 (hb v.d. Boom); W of Lisbon, S of Sintra, garden of National Palace de la Pena, mixed (mature) trees and shrubs, on tree-fern, 38°47.23'N, 9°23.42'W, 490 m alt., 20 Oct. 2015, P. & B. van den Boom 53907 (hb v.d. Boom). The Netherlands. Noord-Brabant, NE of Oirschot, Woekensesteeg, grid-ref. 51.23.23, trail in mixed forest, on wood of fallen trunk, 4 Oct. 2014, P. & B. van den Boom 51991 (hb v.d. Boom, hb Brand 67113); N of Oirschot, De Mortelen, grid-ref. 51.23.12, trail in damp mixed forest, on Fagus sylvatica , 5 June 2017, P. & B. van den Boom 56372 (hb v.d. Boom); E of Best, S side of Wilhelmina channel, grid-ref. 51.24.53, trail in Pinus forest, on Quercus rubra , 22 July 2018, P. & B. van den Boom 57647 (hb v.d. Boom); ENE of Oostelbeers, Oostelbeerse Heide, grid-ref. 51.32.34, forest, on Pseudotsuga , 26 May 2016, P. & B. van den Boom 55028 (hb v.d. Boom); NNW of Wintelre, S side of Straatsche Heide, grid-ref. 51.33.51, Pinus forest at edge of Calluna heathland with some Quercus robur trees, on Quercus robur , 14 April 2016, P. & B. van den Boom 54996 (hb v.d. Boom); W of Son, E of Nieuwe Heide, grid-ref. 51.24.45, E side of trail in Pinus forest, on Betula , 22 June 2014, P. & B. van den Boom 51315 (hb v.d. Boom); S of Best, Aarlesche Heide, S of high-way, grid-ref. 51.33.25, in Pinus forest, on Quercus rubra , 1 Nov. 2014, P. & B. van den Boom 52515 (hb v.d. Boom); S of Best, Aarlesche Heide, S of highway, grid ref. 51.34.21, grassy Calluna heathland, with scattered trees, on Quercus robur , 24 Jan. 2014, P. & B. van den Boom 50279 (hb v.d. Boom).

Specimen of Nectriopsis micareae .

The Netherlands. Noord-Brabant, S of Best, Aarlesche Heide, S of highway, grid ref. 51.34.21, grassy Calluna heathland, with scattered trees, on Micarea microsorediata growing on Quercus robur , 24 Jan. 2014, P. & B. van den Boom 50278 (hb v.d. Boom).

Notes.

The new species is morphologically similar to M. viridileprosa and M. soralifera , but those species differ in their contents of secondary lichen metabolites: M. viridileprosa contains gyrophoric acid, whereas M. soralifera produces micareic acid ( van den Boom and Coppins 2001; Guzow-Krzemińska et al. 2016).

Micarea microsorediata produces methoxymicareic acid, a substance present in M. byssacea , M. nigra , M. pauli and other species of the M. micrococca clade ( Fig. 1 ), but these species are not sorediate and some of them also have darker apothecia containing the Sedifolia-grey pigment ( Czarnota 2007; Czarnota and Guzow-Krzemińska 2010; Launis et al. 2019a; this paper).

Figures

Figure 1. Maximum likelihood tree based on three-loci dataset. Bootstrap supports ≥ 70 for ML and posterior probabilities ≥ 0.95 (second value) for Bayesian methods are indicated near the branches. The highly supported clades with previously described species represented by numerous sequences are collapsed. Herbarium collection numbers for newly sequenced specimens precede the names of species and type specimens are marked. Newly described species are marked in bold. Micarea micrococca (orange) and M. prasina (blue) clades are indicated with shading. Ancestral states for selected characters reconstructed based on binary or multistate datasets using maximum parsimony (MP) or maximum likelihood methods (ML) are marked for the main clades: M. prasina group, M. micrococca clade and M. prasina clade using red (= present / significant) and white (= absent / insignificant) boxes or? (= uncertain).

Figure 2. Morphology of newly described Micarea species A M. aeruginoprasina (holotype) B M. azorica (holotype) C M. isidioprasina (holotype) D M. microsorediata (holotype) E M. nigra (holotype) F M. pauli (holotype). Scale bars: 200 µm (A−C, E); 300 µm (D, F).