Pacific Northwest Fungi Project

North American Fungi

Volume 6, Number 1, Pages 1-3 Published February 4, 2011

Bactrospora cascadensis, an uncommon epiphytic lichen new to Alaska

Bruce McCune1 and Jeanne Ponzetti2

12082 Cordley Hall, Dept. of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-2902, USA. 22914 Central Street SE, Olympia WA 98501, USA.

McCune, B., and J. Ponzetti. 2011. Bactropsora cascadensis, an uncommon epiphytic lichen new to Alaska. North American Fungi 3(1): 1-3. doi: 10.2509/naf2010.006.001

Key words: Arthoniales, Bactrospora cascadensis, Bactrosporaceae, Kenai Peninsula, lichenized ascomycetes, Picea sitchensis, range extension, Roccellaceae, Washington state.

Bactrospora is a small genus (11 species in North often barely apparent, contains the photobiont America; Esslinger 2010) of crustose lichenized Trentepohlia. Lecanactis is similar to fungi (Arthoniales, Roccellaceae, formerly Bactrospora, and also contains Trentepohlia, but Bactrosporaceae). The genus has black, lecideine the spores are fusiform and not characteristically ascocarps, a dark exciple, branched fragmented. Bactrospora occurs mainly in paraphysoids, and acicular, multi-septate, temperate to tropical climates, so its presence in fragmenting ascospores. The thallus, which is cool oceanic forests is unusual for the genus. 2 McCune & Ponzetti. Bactrospora cascadensis in Alaska. North American Fungi 6(1): 1-3

Bactrospora cascadensis Ponzetti & McCune Creek, Kenai Peninsula, 60.0468oN 149.4460oW, occurs on trunks of conifers in old, wet forests. datum: WGS84, elevation 4 m, old Picea Before now, B. cascadensis was known only from sitchensis forest, on trunk of Picea, August 2010, the lower Tsuga mertensiana zone of the Cascade McCune 30700 (OSC); additional specimens Range in Washington (Ponzetti & McCune 2006). from this location were collected independently The species typically occurs on semi-sheltered in 2010 by T. Spribille and J. Hafellner (Spribille sides of trunks where it can be the locally pers. comm. 2010, specimens not seen by us). dominant species. Here we report it as new to WASHINGTON, King Co., Mount Baker- Alaska, disjunct by over 2000 km NW from its Snoqualmie National Forest, SW of Stevens Pass, former locations. In addition, we report a new 47.6716oN 121.1392oW , elevation 1385 m, location in Washington. Ponzetti 1635 (OSC); 47.6734oN 121.1406oW , elevation 1300 m, August 2010, Ponzetti 1636 This distinctive species is easily recognized in the (OSC). field by its pinkish scurfy thallus (Fig. 1) and black apothecia (Fig. 2) and in the lab by the Acknowledgements: We thank the reviewers acicular spores that fragment into various lengths of the manuscript and Toby Spribille for their outside the ascus. With a hand lens the orange comments and suggestions. tips of Trentepohlia cells are noticeable and give an overall orange cast to the thallus (Fig. 2). Literature cited These colors soon fade to cream or tan in the Esslinger, T. L. 2010. A cumulative checklist for herbarium. Several other Bactrospora species, the lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi especially B. brodoi Egea & Torrente, B. of the continental United States and Canada. patellarioides (Nyl.) Almq., and B. spiralis Egea Retrieved 2 Sep 2010 from website & Torrente, have similar spores. See Ponzetti and http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~esslinge/chcklst McCune (2006) for points of distinction from /chcklst7.htm. these species; these are still not known from Alaska or the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Ponzetti, J. & B. McCune. 2006. A new species of Bactrospora from northwestern North America. Specimens examined: U. S. A., ALASKA, The Bryologist 109: 85-88. doi:10.1639/0007- Kenai Peninsula Co., floodplain near Tonsina 2745(2006)109[0085:ANSOBF]2.0.CO;2 McCune & Ponzetti. Bactrospora cascadensis in Alaska. North American Fungi 6(1): 1-3 3

Figs. 1-3, Bactrospora cascadensis from Alaska (McCune 30700). 1. Field habit, in situ on Picea sitchensis trunk; scale bar is 1 cm. 2. Habit of fresh specimen, detail; scale bar is 1 mm. 3. Ascus and ascospores showing spores intact within the ascus and fragmenting outside the ascus.