[Psora trevisanii Hepp, moreRinodina archaea f. cinerascens H. Magn., Rinodina convexula H. Magn., Rinodina laevigata f. subathallina H. Magn., Rinodina lignaria H. Magn, Rinodina norrlandica H. Magn.]
Basionym.Psora trevisanii Hepp, Flechten Eur. 80 (1853). Type. SWITZERLAND. GRAUBÜNDEN. St. Moritz, an der Rinde alter Lärchen und Avenstämme. (UPS - lectotype! Ropin & Mayrhofer 1993, H-Nyl 28502, K in BM, - isolectotypes!).
Rinodina lignaria H. Magn., Svensk Bot. Tidskr. 30: 259 (1936). Type. SIBERIA. JENISEJSK. Dudinka, 69.35 N. lat., 6 August 1876, M. Brenner 1694f (S ‑ lectotype Mayrhofer & Sheard 2007, with R. turfacea), 1694d both on wood (UPS with R. turfacea, H with R. conradii - syntypes!).
Rinodina archaea f. cinerascens H. Magn., Acta Horti Gotob. 17: 307 (1947). Type. FINLAND. TAVESTIA BOREALIS. Saarijärvi, Mahlu, on Populus, August 1936, A. Koskinen s.n. (H ‑ lectotype, Mayrhofer & Sheard 2007).
Rinodina convexula H. Magn., Acta Horti Gotob. 17: 290 (1947). Type. FINLAND. OSTROBOTTNIA BOREALIS. Simo par., Simonkylä, Pahnilankangas. Ad corticem Sorbus aucuparia in horto. 11.VII.1936, V. Räsänaen s.n., Lich. Fenn. Exs. No. 609 as R. dispersella Vain. (UPS - lectotype!, Mayrhofer & Moberg 2002).
Rinodina laevigata f. subathallina H. Magn., Acta Horti Gotob. 17: 244 (1947) Type. SWEDEN. SÖDERMANLAND. Stora Malm, Brankarr, on twigs of Populus tremula, 20 May 1909, G.O. Malme s.n. (S - lectotype, Mayrhofer & Sheard 2007).
Rinodina norrlandica H. Magn., Acta Horti Gotob. 17: 299 (1947). Type. SWEDEN. MEDELPAD. Skön Par., Berg norr on Igeltjärn, 130 m, 13.VI.1924, E. Eriksson s.n. (UPS ‑ holotype!).
Description.Thallus thin, grey to yellowish or reddish brown, discontinuous or continuous becoming rimose, rarely rimose-areolate; areoles to 0.40-0.60 mm wide; surface plane, matt or shining; margin indeterminate; prothallus absent; vegetative propagules absent. Apothecia frequent, broadly attached, mostly dispersed, to 0.35-0.65 mm in diam.; disc dark brown (particularly when moist) to black, plane, frequently becoming convex; thalline margin concolourous with thallus, ca. 0.05 mm wide, entire, often becoming excluded; excipular ring absent; or margin biatorine and concolourous with disc. ApothecialAnatomy. Thalline exciple 25-65 µm laterally when present; cortex 5-10(-15) µm wide; epinecral layer sometimes present, 5-10 µm wide; crystals absent in cortex and medulla; cortical cells to (3.5-)4.5-7.0 µm wide, pigmented or not; algal cells to 9.0-15.0 µm long; thalline exciple sometimes expanded to 30-60 µm below; cortex then 5-30 µm deep; proper exciple 5-10(-15) µm wide laterally, expanding to 20-35 µm above, 30-60 µm wide if margin biatorine, outer part pigmented red-brown; hypothecium hyaline, 30-80 µm deep; hymenium 65-90 µm high, not inspersed; paraphyses 2.0-2.5 µm wide, conglutinate, apices to 3.5-5.5 µm wide, lightly pigmented, immersed in a dispersed pigment forming a light or dark red-brown epihymenium, asci 40-70 x 15-21 µm. Ascospores 8/ascus, developmental type A, Physconia-type , (14.5-)18.0-18.5(-23.0) x (7.5-)8.5-9.0(-10.5) µm, average l/b ratio 2.0-2.1, some with apical wall thickening at first (Physcia-type), lumina with relatively persistent narrow canal during development; torus present; walls lightly ornamented or not. Pycnidia globular, red-brown; conidiophores type I; conidia bacilliform, 3.0-4.0 x 1.0 µm.
Chemistry. Spot tests all negative; secondary metabolites, zeorin.
Substrate and Ecology. Corticolous, found on Acer glabrum, Alnus, Quercus, Thuja plicata and wood in moist habitats. It has been found at elevations of 400-640 m in the Pacific Northwest and 1 980-2 875 m in Arizona.
Distribution. Reported for the first time from North America by Sheard (2004) where it is infrequent from Arizona and the Cascade Range from Oregon to British Columbia, also inland in this province. Rinodina trevisanii is a montane species of the Alps but is also broadly distributed in Scandinavia and Siberia.
Notes. This species has been poorly understood in recent times and confused with R. archaea (Ropin & Mayrhofer 1993, Giralt & Mayrhofer 1995, Mayrhofer & Sheard 2007). The difficulties arise from the similarity of spore structure and size of the two species. The Physcia-type stage of development is more prolonged in R. archaea and spore size is only slightly, although significantly larger. However, the external morphology of the two species is usually very different. Rinodina trevisanii possesses a thin, continuous to rimose thallus (rarely rimose-areolate), whereas that of R. archaea is usually relatively thick and areolate. The apothecia of R. trevisanii are mostly scattered, the discs frequently become convex and the narrow thalline margins often become biatorine. This is in contrast to the apothecia of R. archaea which quickly become contiguous, and sometimes angular by compression, with persistently plane discs and persistent thalline margins. The spores of rapidly growing thalli of R. trevisanii in particularly moist environments may have more persistently thickened apical walls (Physcia–type) due to incomplete spore development.
Rinodina orculata may be more closely related to R. trevisanii than R. archaea. It typically possesses discontinuous thalli with small, discrete areoles. The spore structure of R. orculata is similar to that of R. trevisanii although in development the Physcia-type stage is more prolonged and the torus much more prominent, often being present in immature spores. The average spore size of R. orculata is also smaller although there is much variation. The two species have been confused in the European Alps where they grow in similar habitats.
The type specimens of R. lignaria are on wood and are unusual in that many apothecia are regenerating from old apothecia which may have been grazed by invertebrates. They also have spores which correspond in size to those of R. archaea but the lecanorine margins of young apothecia quickly become biatorine and the discs convex, characters which are typical of R. trevisanii. Their thalli are also thin and poorly developed but tend to become continuous, characters which are also more characteristic of R. trevisanii than R. archaea. Rinodina norrlandica is typical of R. trevisanii with a continuous, brownish thallus with apothecial discs becoming convex and margins biatorine.
Specimens examined. CANADA. BRITISH COLUMBIA. Blanket Creek Prov. Park, J.W. Sheard 5275; Hillside Lodge, nr. Blaeberry, J.W. Sheard 5282b (both SASK); N Whistler, T. Tønsberg 12806b (BG); Wells Gray Prov. Park, Dawson Falls, I.M. Brodo 28528b (CANL). U.S.A. ARIZONA. Coconino Co., Mount Humphreys, T.H. Nash 35307; Gila Co., Workman Falls, T.H. Nash 28453; Pima Co., Saguaro Nat. Mon., C.M. Wetmore 54797; Santa Catalina Mountains, T.H. Nash 38964, 38965 (all ASU); W Mica Meadow, C.M. Wetmore 54797 (MIN). OREGON. Jefferson Co., Monon Lake, T.H. Nash 40772. WASHINGTON. Skagit Co., Mt.Baker‑ Snoqualmie Nat. Forest, B.D. Ryan 30226, 32492 (all ASU).
Selected References. Magnusson (1947a and as R. convexula), Mayrhofer & Moberg (2002, p. 102 as R. convexula), Sheard (2004, Fig. 63), Mayrhofer & Sheard (2007).
Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2004. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 2.
Thallus: crustose, thin, discontinuous or continuous becoming rimose, rarely rimose-areolate, areoles up to 0.4-0.6 mm wide, plane surface: gray to yellowish or reddish brown, dull or smooth; margin: indeterminate; prothallus: absent; vegetative propagules: absent Apothecia: frequent, adnate, mostly dispersed, up to 0.35-0.5 mm in diam. disc: dark brown (particularly when moist) to black, plane, frequently becoming convex thalline margin: concolorous with thallus, c. 0.05 mm wide, entire, becoming excluded, or biatorine and concolorous with disc; excipular ring: absent or confluent thalline exciple: 25-50(-60) µm wide laterally when present; cortex: 5-10(-15) µm wide; epinecral layer: sometimes present, c. 5 µm wide; cortical cells: up to (3.5-)4.5-6 µm wide, pigmented or not; algal cells: up to 9-15 µm in diam.; thalline exciple: sometimes expanded to 30-60 µm below; cortex: then 5-30 µm thick, intricate proper exciple: 5-10(-15) µm wide laterally, expanding to 20-35 µm at periphery, 30-60 µm wide if margin biatorine, outer part pigmented red-brown hymenium: 65-90 µm tall; paraphyses: 2-2.5 µm wide, conglutinate, with apices up to 3.5-4.5 µm wide, lightly pigmented, immersed in a dispersed pigment forming a light or dark red-brown epihymenium; hypothecium: hyaline, 30-80 µm thick asci: clavate, 40-70 x 15-20 µm, 8-spored ascospores: brown, 1-septate, ellipsoid, type A development, Physconia-type, (15-)17.5-18(-21) x (7.5-)8.5-9(-10) µm, some with apical wall thickening at first (Physcia-like), lumina with relatively persistent, narrow, elongate isthmus during development; torus: present; walls: lightly ornamented or not (Fig. 63) Pycnidia: globular, red-brown; conidiophores: type I conidia: bacilliform, 3-4 x c. 1 µm Spot tests: all negative Secondary metabolites: zeorin present. Substrate and ecology: on bark and wood (Alnus and Quercus in North America, Acer, Rhododendron, Salix sp., and Sorbus in Europe) World distribution: known from Scandinavia, the European Alps , Siberia, and North America (British Columbia to Arizona) Sonoran distribution: Pima and Coconino Counties, Arizona, in moist habitats at elevations of 1275-2380 m. Notes: Rinodina trevisanii has previously been confused with R. archaea in Europe. It is characterized by a thin, continuous to rimose thallus (rarely rimose-areolate), mostly scattered apothecia with discs frequently becoming convex, the narrow thalline margins often becoming biatorine, and Physconia-type spores with elongate lumina canals during development. In contrast, R. archaea typically possesses a thicker, areolate thallus, apothecia that become contiguous, then angular by compression, persistently plane discs and prominent, persistently thalline margins, and larger spores. A new species to North America.