Opuscula Philolichenum, 11: 26-30. 2012. *pdf available online 3January2012 via (http://sweetgum.nybg.org/philolichenum/)
Canoparmelia cinerascens belongs in the genus Parmelinella (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycota)
1 MICHEL NAVARRO BENATTI
ABSTRACT. – Canoparmelia cinerascens, a species previously included in the genus Canoparmelia is actually a member of the genus Parmelinella. As such, the new combination Parmelinella cinerascens (Lynge) Benatti & Marcelli is proposed here. The species is described in detail and an epitype is selected to aid interpretation due the poor condition of the holotype.
KEYWORDS. – Axillary cilia, Parmelinella wallichiana, salazinic acid
INTRODUCTION
Canoparmelia Elix & Hale, a segregate of the eciliate parmelioid lichen genus Pseudoparmelia Lynge (Hale 1976), is characterized by the typically gray or rarely yellow-green thalli containing cortical atranorin and chloroatranorin (or rarely usnic acid), the 3.05.0 mm rotund or subrotund eciliate lobes, the white medulla, the black lower surface with naked brown margins and simple concolorous rhizines, small ellipsoid ascospores 1014 68 m, and fusiform or bifusiform conidia 710 m in length (Elix 1993, Elix et al. 1986). When the genus Parmelinella was segregated from Parmelina Hale, only three species originally in Parmelina had been recombined into Parmelinella (Elix & Hale 1987). However, the species with small axillary cilia discussed in this paper was misplaced in Pseudoparmelia sensu Hale, and later automatically transferred to Canoparmelia. Working with small Parmeliaceae species from the Southeastern Region in Brazil, the author noted that the isidiate and salazinic acid containing species Canoparmelia cinerascens did not fit well with the concept of the genus proposed by Elix et al. (1986). By analyzing the morphological and chemical characters of the species, including analysis of the type collection, we have concluded that due to their ascospore and conidia dimensions, the constant presence of small axillary cilia and the medullary chemistry place the species in the current concept of the genus Parmelinella Elix & Hale (1987). Parmelinella was segregated from the genus Parmelina Hale by Elix and Hale (1987). It was characterized by these authors by the following combination of characters: broad rotund lobes, emaculate thallus, sparse simple cilia mostly restricted to the axils, simple black rhizines, ellipsoid spores, short cylindrical conidia, and medullary salazinic and consalazinic acids. However, the concept of this genus, like many others segregated in this family, has changed in some characteristics since its publication. Subsequent authors have broadened this concept to one consisting of the following characters: the grey to yellowish or greenish gray thalli containing atranorin (with some species containing variable amounts of chloroatranorin and secalonic A acid), 112 mm rotund to subrotund lobes with mainly short axillary simple cilia, the absence of maculae and pseudocyphellae, white to sometimes partially yellowish medulla, a black to brown lower surface, with brown, naked or papillate margins, usually simple rhizines, globose to ellipsoidal ascospores 428 416 m, and bacilliform to short filiform or weakly bifusiform cylindrical conidia 59 m in length (Divakar & Upreti 2005, Elix 1994, Elix & Hale 1987, Eliasaro & Adler 2000, Hale 1976, Kurokawa & Lai 2001, Louwhoff & Elix 2002, Marcelli 1993, Marcelli & Ribeiro 2002, Pooprang et al. 1999, Swinscow & Krog 1988).
1 MICHEL NAVARRO BENATTI – Instituto de Botânica, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Micologia, Caixa Postal 68041, 04045-972 São Paulo, SP, Brazil – e-mail: [email protected]
26 MATERIALS AND METHODS
The morphological and anatomical characters of the specimens were analyzed using standard stereoscopic and compound microscopes. Anatomical sections, including those of apothecia and pycnidia when present, were made with a razor blade by hand. The chemical constituents were checked by spot tests with potassium hydroxide (K), sodium hypochlorite (C) and para-phenylenediamine (P), and also examined under UV light (360 nm). Chemical constituents of the additional specimens examined were identified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) using solvent C (Bungartz 2001), and compared with the data on labels left with the specimens.
TAXONOMIC SECTION
Parmelinella cinerascens (Lynge) Benatti & Marcelli, comb. nov. Mycobank #563647. FIGURE 1.
Parmelia cinerascens Lynge, Arkiv för Botanik 13: 104. 1914. TYPE: PARAGUAY: Paraguari, 2.viii.1893, ad arborem sat solitariam, in ripa rivuli campi, G.O. Malme 1498 (S!, holotype). EPITYPE: BRAZIL. SÃO PAULO: Ubatuba Municipality, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, Núcleo Picinguaba, restinga woods facing the sea, 1 m, 23º21’41.1”S 44º50’53”W, 13.i.2007, A.A. Spielmann 3155 (SP!, epitype [designated here]; S!, isoepitype). Pseudoparmelia cinerascens (Lynge) Hale, Phytologia 29:189. 1974. Canoparmelia cinerascens (Lynge) Elix & Hale, Mycotaxon 27: 278. 1986.
Description. – Thallus lobed, pale gray to greenish gray becoming dusky gray in herbarium, up to 11.0 cm diam., submembranaceous, corticolous. Lobes irregularly ramified to subdichotomous, 1.03.5 mm wide, contiguous to imbricate, closely adnate and adpressed, with rotund or subrotund apices, the margins entire to partly subcrenate, ±plane, upper surface continuous, smooth in the distal parts, sometimes slightly rugose in the older parts. Maculae weak to absent, punctiform, laminal. Cilia restricted mainly to the lobes axils, scarce, simple and very short (< 0.5 mm length). Lacinulae absent, small adventitious lobules absent to ±common, usually in the older parts. Soredia and pustulae absent. Isidia granular to short cylindrical, 0.050.30 ca. 0.05 mm, smooth, simple, erect, firm to caducous, concolor with brown or black apices, eciliate, laminal. Medulla white, without K+ pigments. Lower surface black, sometimes mottled with dark brown spots, shiny, slightly rugose, sometimes slightly veined or papillate. Marginal zone pale to dark brown, shiny, 1.0–3.0 mm wide, attenuate, slightly rugose or veined, usually naked but sometimes sparsely papillate or rhizinate approaching the center. Rhizines dark brown to black, pale brown near the margins, simple and acute, 0.100.50 (0.70) ca. 0.05 mm, frequent, ±evenly distributed but partially crowded at some parts. Apothecia concave, sessile, imperforate, eventually isidiate, ascospores ellipsoid, (6,0−) 8,0−12,0 × 4,0−6,0 µm, epispore ca. 1,0 µm. Pycnidia scarce, submarginal, with black ostioles. Conidia baciliform to ± weakly bifusiform, 5.0−9.0 × ca. 1,0 µm.
Chemistry. – TLC/HPLC: cortical atranorin and chloroatranorin; medullary salazinic acid, and consalazinic acid, with traces of protocetraric acid and of an unknown substance (agreeing with a label of J. Johnston with the holotype, 31-VII-1985; the protocetraric acid and the unknown substance might be contaminants). Spot tests: cortex K+ yellow, UV; medulla K+ yellow turning dark red, C−, KC−, P+ yellow, UV.
Discussion. – Parmelinella cinerascens was reported for Brazil (Hale 1976, Marcelli 2004) from the States of Minas Gerais, Pernambuco and São Paulo (Hale 1976, Ribeiro 1998, Jungbluth 2006), Paraguay (Lynge 1914), Uruguay and Venezuela (Feuerer 2005). Outside of South America it has been reported only from India (Divakar & Upreti 2005). The type specimen is completely reduced to small fragments, leaving it almost useless for taxonomic study. Due this and the absence of any other specimen left by Lynge at S, we decided to nominate an epitype that clearly showed concordant characteristics, also from South America and similar latitude (as is most of the addition material examined here).
27
Figure 1. Holotype and epitype of Parmelinella cinerascens. A, the very damaged, almost pulverized type collection. B, detail of the largest fragments found, on stereomicroscope. C, the same fragments seen from lower side. D, the tiny simple marginal cilia on a fragment of the holotype. E, the full specimen selected as epitype, before being cut in half; the right half is at SP, while the left half is at S. F and G, details of the tiny marginal cilia on the epitype; the first on an old lobe and the second on a young lobe.
28 We also confirmed that the ascospores seen in some scattered apothecia on the fragments of the holotype of Parmelinella cinerascens were in accordance to those mentioned by Hale (1976), and not the larger ascospores originally described by Lynge (1914). Although difficult to observe due the poor condition of the type and their scarcity and very small size, axillary cilia were found on some of the fragments (figure 1D). This confirms one of the typical characteristics of species of Parmelinella (Elix & Hale 1987, Elix 1993, Divakar & Upreti 2005, Benatti & Marcelli 2007). These small cilia were found on all specimens examined, with similar dimensions and distribution patterns (usually < 0.5 mm long, and near always axillary). Due their position and size, it is not surprising that these structures were easily overlooked or misinterpreted. Parmelinella wallichiana (FH-Tayl!, holotype), is also isidiate, has axillary cilia and a dark lower cortex. It is found in Asia, Africa and Australia, with a few references to Brazil (Eliasaro & Adler 2000, Eliasaro 2001, Canêz 2005, Jungbluth 2006). Due to morphological and chemical similarities, the two species might occasionally be confused with one another. The few works that report P. wallichiana from South America (Hale 1976, Ribeiro 1998, Jungbluth 2006) did not mention P. cinerascens, which might be the correct name for the relevant vouchers since their descriptions differ from the type specimen of P. wallichiana. As confirmed by examination of the type collection, Parmelinella wallichiana is a much larger lichen than P. cinerascens, and the lobes are usually (2.0) 3.010.0 (15.0) cm wide. It also has larger ascospores 15.0–20.0 (8.0) 10.012.5 m, and a uniformly brown lower cortex, bearing darker rhizines. The cilia on P. wallichiana are more frequent on the margins, in addition to being concentrated at the lobe axils. Given the differences between these species we question whether there are any reports of authentic Parmelinella wallichiana from South America. Based on the published descriptions of South American ‘P. wallichiana’ this may well be a form of the more common P. cinerascens, or even an undescribed species morphologically close to it. The specimens cited have ±reticular maculae as well as identical lobe width and shape, scarce axillary short cilia and usually a brown lower cortex (thalli of P. cinerascens can have a black or mottled black and brown lower cortex). As was noted by Jungbluth (2006), there are also differences outlined by Divakar and Upreti (2005) between specimens with very different sized ascospores from different regions of India, those of Sikkim have apparently identical ascospores (15.0−20.0 × 9.0−14.0 µm) to those of the holotype of Parmelinella wallichiana, while others from Southern India have much smaller ascospores (8.0−10.0 × 4.0−5.0 µm) closer to those seen in P. cinerascens. Further study of Indian material is needed to determine the status of those populations.
Additional specimens examined. – BRAZIL. SÃO PAULO: Municipality of Itirapina, João Batista de Arruda Penitentiary, cerrado vegetation, 16.viii.2003, on a tree trunk, P. Jungbluth & F.R. Martins 511 (SP), on thick cork tree, P. Jungbluth & F.R. Martins 543b (SP), P. Jungbluth & F.R. Martins 550 (SP); Municipality of São Paulo, Parque Estadual da Cantareira, on roadside to Mairiporã, 25.vi.1991, on tree trunk, M.P. Marcelli et al. 11584 (SP). MINAS GERAIS: Municipality of Catas Altas, Serra do Caraça, Parque Natural do Caraça, next to the gate of the courtyard in front of the hotel, 9.ix.1997, on stone wall, M.P. Marcelli & C.H. Riberio 31955 (SP).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author thanks James Lendemer for his suggestions and comments, Jack Elix and an anonymous reviewer for reviewing the manuscript, and the curators of FH (Donald Pfister) and S (Anders Tehler) for their support by assisting us with the type collections.
LITERATURE CITED
Benatti, M.N. and M.P. Marcelli. 2007. Worldwide key for Parmelinella Elix & Hale (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycota). Annals of the Segunda Reunião Brasileira de Estudos Liquenológicos (2ª REBEL): 62-68. Canêz, L.S. 2005. A família Parmeliaceae na localidade de Fazenda da Estrela, municipio de Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Mastership dissertation, Instituto de Botânica, São Paulo. Chen, J-B., S-L. Wang and J.A. Elix. 2003. Parmeliaceae (Ascomycota) lichens in China's mainland I. The genera Canomaculina, Parmelina, Parmelinella and Parmelinopsis. Mycotaxon, 86: 19-29.
29 Divakar, P.K. and D.K. Upreti. 2005. Parmelioid Lichens in India - a Revisionary Study. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, India. Eliasaro, S. 2001. Estudio taxonomico y floristico sobre las parmeliaceae sensu stricto (Ascomycota liquenizados) del Segundo Planalto del Estado de Paraná, Brasil. Tese de Doutorado. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires. Eliasaro, S. and M.T. Adler. 2000. The species of Canomaculina, Myelochroa, Parmelinella, and Parmelinopsis (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycotina) from the "Segundo Planalto" in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Acta Botanica Brasilica, 14(2): 141-149. Elix J.A. 1993. Progress in the generic delimitation of Parmelia sensu lato lichens (Ascomycotina: Parmeliaceae) and a synoptic key to the Parmeliaceae. The Bryologist, 96(3): 359-383. Elix, J.A, J. Johnston and D. Verdon. 1986. Canoparmelia, Paraparmelia and Relicinopsis, three new genera in the Parmeliaceae (lichenized Ascomycotina). Mycotaxon, 27: 271-282. Elix, J.A. and M.E. Hale. 1987. Canomaculina, Myelochroa, Parmelinella, Parmelinopsis and Parmotremopsis, five new genera in the Parmeliaceae (lichenized Ascomycotina). Mycotaxon, 29: 233-244. Feuerer, T.E. 2005. Checklists of lichens and lichenicolous fungi. In http://www.checklists.de [Accessed on June 2006.] Hale, M.E. 1976. A Monograph of the Lichen Genus Pseudoparmelia Lynge (Parmeliaceae). Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, 31: 1-62. Jungbluth, P. 2006. A família Parmeliaceae (fungos liquenizados) em fragmentos de cerrados do Estado de São Paulo. Mastership dissertation, Instituto de Botânica, São Paulo. Kurokawa, S. and M.J. Lai. 2001. Parmelioid lichen genera and species in Taiwan. Mycotaxon, 77: 225-284. Louwhoff, S.H.J.J. and J.A. Elix. 2002. Hypotrachyna (Parmeliaceae) and Allied Genera in Papua New Guinea. Bibliotheca Lichenologica, 81, J. Cramer, Berlin, Stuttgart. 149 pp. Lynge, B. 1914. Die Flechten der ersten Regnellschen Expedition. Die Gattungen Pseudoparmelia gen. nov. und Parmelia Ach. Arkiv för Botanik, 13: 1-172. Marcelli, M.P. 1993. Pequenas Parmelia s.l. (líquens: Ascomycotina) ciliadas dos cerrados brasileiros. Acta Botanica Brasilica, 7(2): 25-70. Marcelli, M.P. 2004. Checklist of lichens and lichenicolous fungi of Brazil. Version 1: June 2004. http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/checklists/brazil_l.htm. Marcelli, M.P. and C.H. Ribeiro. 2002. Twenty-one new species of Parmeliaceae (lichenized fungi) from southeastern Brazil. Mitteilungen aus dem Institut für Allgemeine Botanik in Hamburg, 30-32: 125-155. Pooprang, T., K. Boonpragob and J.A. Elix. 1999. New species and new records in the lichen family Parmeliaceae (Ascomycotina) from Thailand. Mycotaxon, 71: 111-127. Ribeiro, C.H. 1998. A família Parmeliaceae (Ascomycota liquenizados) em Regiões montanhosas dos estados de Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo. Mastership dissertation, Instituto de Biociências da Universidade de São Paulo. Swinscow, T.D.V and H. Krog. 1988. Macrolichens of East Africa. British Museum of Natural History, London. 390 p.
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