Two new species of Astrothelium from Sud Yungas in Bolivia and the first discovery of vegetative propagules in the family Trypetheliaceae (lichen-forming Dothideomycetes, Ascomycota)

Abstract

Two new species of Astrothelium are described from the Yungas forest in Bolivian Andes. Astrothelium chulumanense is characterised by pseudostromata concolorous with the thallus, perithecia immersed for the most part, with the upper portion elevated above the thallus and covered, except the tops, with orange pigment, apical and fused ostioles, the absence of lichexanthone (but thallus UV+ orange-yellow), clear hamathecium, 8-spored asci and amyloid, large, muriform ascospores with median septa. Astrothelium isidiatum is known only in a sterile state and produces isidia that develop in groups on areoles, but easily break off to reveal a medulla that resembles soralia. Both species, according to the two-locus phylogeny, belong to Astrothelium s.str. The production of isidia is reported from the genus Astrothelium and the family Trypetheliaceae for the first time.

Additional new species and new records of the genus Sticta (lichenised Ascomycota, lobarioid Peltigeraceae) from Bolivia

“…The diversity of lichen species in Bolivia is still not fully understood; however, recent results systematically increase the number of species known from this country ( Flakus et al 2019 ; Guzow-Krzemińska et al 2019 ; Kukwa and Ossowska 2022 ; Kukwa et al 2023a , b ). The knowledge on Sticta in Bolivia is also increasing and recent morphological and anatomical studies supported by phylogenetic analyses have contributed significantly to this ( Ossowska 2021 ; Ossowska et al 2022a , b ; Crous et al 2023 ).…”