Opuscula Philolichenum, 11: 304-312. 2012. *pdf effectively published online 26November2012 via (http://sweetgum.nybg.org/philolichenum/) A worldwide key for the genus Parmelinopsis Elix & Hale (Parmeliaceae; Lichenized Ascomycetes) 1 MICHEL N. BENATTI ABSTRACT. – A worldwide key, based on the literature and specimens from SP herbarium, is presented for all 25 currently accepted species of Parmelinopsis. KEYWORDS. – marginal cilia, Hypotrachyna, gyrophoric acid, horrescens complex. INTRODUCTION Parmelinopsis Elix and Hale (1987) is a segregate of the ciliate parmelioid lichen genus Parmelina Hale (Hale 1974), characterized by typically greenish gray thalli containing cortical atranorin and chloroatranorin, medullary orcinol depsides and -orcinol depsidones, 0.55.0 mm wide truncate lobes with simple cilia, a white medulla, ivory, brown or black lower surface with naked brown margins, simple to sparsely dichotomously branched concolorous rhizines, ellipsoid ascospores 1220 812 m, and cylindrical or bifusiform conidia 35 m in length (Elix 1993, Elix & Hale 1987). The genus belongs to a well supported clade in the family Parmeliaceae that includes Cetrariastrum Sipman, Everniastrum Hale ex Sipman, and members of Hypotrachyna (Vainio) Hale that were not assigned to Remototrachyna Divakar & A. Crespo (Crespo et al. 2011, Divakar et al. 2010). Parmelinopsis differs from these genera in being comprised entirely of marginally ciliate species, most of which do not have the furcate or dichotomously branched rhizines typical of Hypotrachyna (Hale 1975, Hawksworth et al. 2011). Recent molecular studies aimed at resolving generic boundaries within the Parmelinaceae have revealed that the circumscriptions of many genera need to be refined (Crespo et al. 2011). In the case of the genera included in the same clade as Parmelinopsis, it is clear that further study is needed to resolve what rank and circumscriptions are appropriate for the various groups. In treating the European species of Parmelinopsis, Hawksworth et al. (2011) proposed to classify them in a broadly circumscribed Hypotrachyna, noting “we recognize that subgeneric status might eventually prove to be appropriate for the Parmelinopsis clade” but that this “should be deferred pending an analysis of additional Hypotrachyna species”. The pragmatic treatment proposed by Hawksworth et al. (2011) is a reasonable one. Nonetheless, I would suggest that it is premature considering that Parmelinopsis s. str. and Hypotrachyna s. str. both represent strongly supported entities whose circumscriptions may simply need to be refined. Based on the available data it is plausible that some Hypotrachyna species, possibly the H. revoluta group, are in fact Parmelinopsis species and this genus is a valid one. Additionally, there is a large group of taxa belonging to Hypotrachyna s.l. that need to be carefully investigated. Therefore for the purposes of this work I prefer to retain the use of Parmelinopsis pending further study. There are currently 25 accepted species included in the Parmelinopsis group (Adler 1992; Adler & Elix 1987; Aptroot 1991; Asahina 1951; Awasthi 1976; Benatti & Marcelli 2010; Brusse 1991; Chen et al. 2003; Divakar & Upreti 2005; Eliasaro & Adler 2000; Elix 1993, 1994; Elix & Hale 1987; Elix & Johnston 1986; Hale 1972, 1973, 1976a-d; Hale & Kurokawa 1964; Harris 1990; Krog & Swinscow 1979; Kurokawa 1968, 1979; Kurokawa & Lai 2001; Louwhoff & Elix 2000, 2002a-b; Marcelli 1993; Nash & Elix 2002; Pooprang et al. 1999; Sipman 1980; Spielmann & Marcelli 2008; Swinscow & Krog 1988; Vainio 1896; Zahlbruckner 1905, 1909), but no worldwide treatment or monograph has appeared since the 1 MICHEL N. BENATTI – Instituto de Botânica, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Micologia, Caixa Postal 68041, 04045-972 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. – e-mail: [email protected]. 304 genus was proposed. This paper aims to assist those trying to identify species belonging to this group by providing a worldwide key based on the existing literature. Other species related to the Parmelinopsis clade, and those of the Hypotrachyna revoluta group are also included, as well as some species previously interpreted as Parmelinopsis by some authors but that have subsequently been reassigned to other genera. MATERIAL AND METHODS The key presented below is mainly based on the characteristics commonly accepted for distinguishing species of this group. These include lobe width, presence or absence of vegetative propagules, the nature and characteristics of the propagules, ascospore size, details of the upper and lower cortices, and medullary chemistry. Specimens of several species at SP were examined following standard methods for lichen taxonomic studies. 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 specimens were identified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) using solvent C (Bungartz 2001). The following selected specimens at SP herbarium were examined : Parmelinopsis damaziana (A.A. Spielmann 994, L.S. Canêz 1092, 1096, 1115, M.P. Marcelli 24047, 34499, P. Jungbluth 829), P. horrescens (A.A. Spielmann 1319, 1821, 1848, L.S. Canêz 1131, 1132, M.P. Marcelli 10962, 33126, 33127, P. Jungbluth 847, 868), P. minarum (A.A. Spielmann 1273, 1325, L.S. Canêz 1023, 1375, M.N. Benatti 1267, 1271, M.P. Marcelli 34557, 34562, P. Jungbluth 900, 902), P. schindleri (M.N. Benatti 1018, 1021, 1064, 1088, M.P. Marcelli 19922, 10925, 10948, 10994), P. spathulata (A.A. Spielmann 1816, L.S. Canêz 750, M.P. Marcelli 34480), P. subfatiscens (M.N. Benatti 1266, 1270, 1281, M.P. Marcelli 13542, 13602) and P. aff. subfatiscens (L.S. Canêz 1087, M.P. Marcelli 32787, 33047, 33063, 34315, P. Jungbluth 871, 909, 1060). The specimens cited above were collected in several vegetation types (e.g., cerrado/savannah, restinga wood, mangrove, rainforest, trees in open field, etc.) from southern and south-eastern Brazilian States, mainly Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo. A list of the currently accepted species of Parmelinopsis, including reported geographic distributions and bibliography used here for the key, is given in the appendix. The key includes several species currently treated in other genera, that once were combined in Parmelinopsis or that recent papers indicate are associated with the Parmelinopsis clade. WORLDWIDE KEY FOR THE GENUS PARMELINOPSIS ELIX & HALE 1. Thallus isidiate, lacinulate, lobulate, sorediate or pustulate……………………………………………… 2 2. Thallus isidiate and/or lacinulate or lobulate………………………………………………………… 3 3. Thallus isidiate; lobules and lacinules absent…………………………………………………... 4 4. Medulla C-, KC-, P-, with protolichesterinic acid………. P. expallida (Kurok.) Elix & Hale 4. Medulla with at least one spot test positive, KC- or KC+ red-rose, P- or P+ orange-red….. 5 5. Medulla P+ orange-red, with protocetraric or melanoprotocetraric acid……………… 6 6. Lower cortex mostly brown, with or without occasional black spots……………… ……………………………………………………. Imshaugia venezolana (Hale) Elix 6. Lower cortex usually black with black or brown margins……………………….. 7 7. Isidia usually simple, up to 0.3 mm high; medulla with malonprotocetraric acid……………………………………………….. P. jamesii (Hale) Elix & Hale 7. Isidia often becoming branched, up to 0.5 mm high; medulla with protocetraric acid and gyrophoric acid… P. subinflata (Hale) Benatti & Marcelli 5. Medulla P-, with other substances present…………………………………………..… 8 305 8. Medulla C-, KC+ rose, with substances of the horrescens complex2 where 2,4-di- O-methylgyrophoric acid is the major substance……………………………………... …………………………………………………... P. horrescens (Taylor) Elix & Hale 8. Medulla C+ and KC+ reddish-rose, with gyrophoric acid are the major substance…………………………………………………………………………….. 9 9. Isidia ciliate, cilia 1-2 mm long; laciniae 2-6 mm…........................................... ......................................... Parmotrema melanochaetum (Kurok.) O. Blanco et al. 9. Isidia eciliate, only rarely with scarce cilia; laciniae 0.5-3.0 mm wide…..…10 10. Laciniae 1.0-3.0 mm wide, isidia not black tipped; commonly corticolous, occasionally saxicolous……… P. minarum (Vain.) Elix & Hale 10. Laciniae 0.5-1.5 mm wide, isidia black tipped; saxicolous…................... …………………………………... P. ectypa (Brusse) DePriest & B.W. Hale 3. Thallus isidiate-lobulate/lacinulate, or solely lobulate/laciniate………………………………. 11 11. All medullary spot tests negative, containing fatty acids (protolichesterinic or unidentified ones)…………………………………………………………………………………………. 12 12. Laciniae 0.2-1.0 mm wide; thallus isidiate-lobulate; medulla containing protolichesterinic acid…………………….. P. microlobulata (D.D. Awasthi) Elix & Hale 12. Laciniae 1.0-3.0 mm wide; thallus lacking isidia, solely lobulate; medulla containing unidentified fatty acids………………………………………………………………….. 13 13. Lobules mainly laminal, dense; cilia evenly at the margins; rhizines dimorphic, simple to dichotomously branched; ascospores 11-18 × 7-9 µm……………………... ………………………………….. P. nagalandica (Singh & Sinha) Divakar & Upreti 13. Lobules mainly marginal, occasionally laminal; cilia mainly axillary; rhizines monomorphic, usually simple to sparsely furcate; ascospores ca. 12 × 8 µm………… ………………………………………………….