Three new lichen species from Nicaragua, with keys to the known species of Eugeniella and Malmidea

Abstract

Eugeniella palleola, Graphis paraschiffneri, and Malmidea cineracea are described from Nicaragua. Eugeniella palleola is characterized by having pale apothecial discs and prominent, white margins, and producing a complex chemistry including atranorin, stictic and norstictic acids, and an unknown substance. Graphis paraschiffneri has lirellae with a lateral thalline margin, striate labia, a completely carbonized excipulum, transversely septate ascospores, and contains norstictic acid in the thallus. Malmidea cineracea is characterized by a granulose-isidiate thallus with a yellowish medulla and a compact, crystal-encrusted excipulum. Malmidea nigromarginata and M. piperina are proposed as new combinations. Keys are presented to all known species of Eugeniella (9) and Malmidea (50).

Kalbionora palaeotropica, a new genus and species from coastal forests in Southeast Asia and Australia (Malmideaceae, Ascomycota)

“…Another morphologically similar genus is Eugeniella and both Eugeniella and the new genus also share similar ascospore septation. However, these taxa readily distinguished by the ascus-type (Byssolomatype in Eugeniella), the exciple (composed of moniliform hyphae in Eugeniella), and the epihymenium (usually indistinct in Eugeniella) (Breuss and Lücking 2015;Cáceres et al 2013a). The new genus might be confused in the field with the superficially similar, common, pantropical Lecanora caesiorubella or has been confused with Dirina paradoxa, but is readily distinguished by numerous anatomical characters and a different chemistry.…”

“…Species in the genus were previously placed in the distantly related, now monotypic genus Malcolmiella and includes about 50 species with a thallus usually composed of goniocysts, usually paraplectenchymatous excipulum, prosoplectenchymatous hypothecium, and an ascus of the Catillaria-type, i.e. a tholus with no tubular structures to observe (Breuss and Lücking 2015;Cáceres et al 2012Cáceres et al , 2013bKalb et al 2011Kalb et al , 2012. Species in Malmidea often contain atranorin, sometimes in addition anthrachinones or biphenyls.…”

Five new lichen species (Ascomycota) from south-eastern Australia

“…Proper excipulum partially subtending the hypothecium and up to 60 µm thick, heavily impregnated with rounded, squarrose or irregularly shaped crystals of calcium oxalate which are interspersed with radiating moniliform hyphae; cells ellipsoid to subglobose, constricted at the septa, 4-6 µm long and 3-4 µm wide. Hypothecium medium to dark reddish brown, 50-80 µm thick, not inspersed with granules or oil droplets, non-amyloid, K-; subhypothecial tissue hyaline to pale brown, lacking an "apothecial base" sensu Lücking (2008) and Breuss and Lücking (2015). Hymenium 50-70 µm thick, not inspersed, I+ dark blue, K-, occasionally with a faint brownish tint.…”

“…(Lücking 2008). Its circumscription emphasises an excipular anatomy of moniliform hyphae heavily encrusted with calcium oxalate crystals in conjunction with mostly unbranched paraphyses, Byssoloma-type asci and transversely septate to muriform ascospores (Breuss and Lücking 2015). The genus includes nine species, most of which are foliicolous and exclusively Neotropical (Lücking 2008, Breuss andLücking 2015), with one pantropical taxon, E. micrommata (Kremp.)…”

“…Proper excipulum partially subtending or continuous beneath the hypothecium, heavily encrusted with hyaline, squarrose or irregular crystals that largely obscure the moniliform hyphae; cells 3-5 µm long and 2-3(-4) µm wide; excipulum base 90-130 µm thick, subtending the hypothecium with a loose reticulum of 2-3 µm thick hyphae, I+ pale yellowish brown, K-. Hypothecium medium to dark reddish brown, 40-65 µm thick, not inspersed with granules or oily inclusions, I-, K+ dark olive-brown; subhypothecial tissue [the "apothecial base" sensu Lücking (2008), Breuss and Lücking (2015)] hyaline to pale brown, 40-60 µm thick, I-, K-. Hymenium 50-60 µm thick, not inspersed, I+ dark blue, K-.…”