[Lecanora sophodes var. lecideina Nyl., moreRinodina consocians H. Magn., Rinodina exigua f. lecideina (Nyl.) Th. Fr., Rinodina metaboliza f. evoluta H. Magn., Rinodina phaeostigmella H. Magn.]
Rinodina metaboliza f. evolutaH. Magn., Acta Horti Gotob. 17: 296 (1947). Type. SWEDEN. JÄMTLÄND. Undersaker, on bark of Alnus incana, 17/7/1910, G.O. Malme s.n. (S ‑ lectotype here designated, isolectotype ‑ Malme Lich. Suec. 181 as R. laevigata).
Rinodina consociansH. Magn., Acta Horti Gotob. 17: 242 (1947). Type. SIBERIA. YENISEISK. Nikandrovskij Ostrov, 70.20 N. lat., on branches of Alnaster, 1876, M. Brenner 1a (S ‑ lectotype here designated).
Rinodina phaeostigmella H. Magn., Acta Horti Gotob. 17: 232 (1947). Type. NORWAY. FINNMARK. Porsanger district, Saungajokka, s.d. Norman s.n., on Polyporus (O ‑ holotype!, with R. terrestris).
Description.Thallus inconspicuous or thin, light to dark grey, sometimes ochraceous or brownish, discontinuous, becoming rimose‑areolate; areoles to 0.30-1.40 mm wide; surface plane or rugose, matt; margin thallus determinate or indeterminate; prothallus lacking; vegetative propagules absent. Apothecia broadly attached, frequent, dispersed or contiguous, to 0.25-0.80 mm in diam.; disc black and plane, frequently becoming convex or half‑globose; thalline margin concolourous with thallus, 0.05-0.10 mm wide, entire or incompletely formed and finely crenulate, frequently becoming excluded; excipular ring often present, raised. Apothecial Anatomy. Thalline exciple 35-90 µm wide laterally; cortex 10(-15) µm wide; epinecral layer absent; crystals absent from cortex and medulla; cortical cells to 4.0-6.5 µm wide, pigmented or not; algal cells to 7.5-15.0 µm long; thalline exciple 35-90 µm wide below; cortex 10-30 µm, cellular to intricate; proper exciple hyaline or light brown, 10-15 µm wide laterally, expanding to 15-30(-40) µm at periphery; hypothecium hyaline or light brown, (20-)50-65(-80) µm deep; hymenium 65-95 µm high, not inspersed; paraphyses 1.5-2.5 µm wide, not conglutinate, with apices to 3.5-6.0 µm wide, darkly pigmented forming a dark brown epihymenium; asci 45-60 x 12-23 µm. Ascospores 8/ascus, Type B development, Dirinaria-type, (13.5-)17.5-19.0(-23.0) x (6.5-)8.0-9.0(-10.5) um, average l/b ratio 2.0-2.3, lumina angular at first (Physcia-like), becoming inflated but apical walls remaining thick, often dilated at septum, more so in KOH, sometimes submucronate; torus absent; walls minutely ornamented. Pycnidia not seen.
Chemistry. Spot tests negative; secondary metabolites not detected.
Substrate and Ecology. Collected on deciduous and coniferous trees, more rarely on wood or plant detritus on ground. Host species include Abies concolor, Acer glabra, A. saccharum, Alnus crispa, Amelanchier, Betula glandulosa, B. occidentalis, B. papyrifera, B. pumila, Fraxinus nigra, F. pennsylvanica, Larix laricina, Picea glauca, P. mariana, Pinus strobiformis, Populus balsamifera, P. grandidentata, P. tremuloides, Prunus virginiana, Quercus, Salix, Ulmus americana. Rinodina metaboliza has been collected with R. aurantiaca, R. boulderensis, R. capensis, R. colobina, R. coloradiana, R. populicola, R. pyrina, R. sibirica, R. turfacea, and most commonly with R. austroborealis and R. freyi. Recorded from elevations of 50 m in the Pacific Northwest to 2,755 m in Arizona.
Distribution. Scattered in the arctic, frequent in the central and southern boreal regions, scattered southwards to high elevations to Arizona. Also found in Siberia, uncommon in Scandinavia (Mayrhofer and Moberg 2002).
Notes. This corticolous species is characterized by a thallus lacking secondary metabolites and spores inflated at the septum belonging to the Dirinaria-type, which become more inflated in KOH. However, the septal wall inflation may not be obvious in some specimens and the spores are then easily mistaken for the Physcia-type, leading to many previous misidentifications. In addition, the apical thickening of the Type B spore developmental type may be quite minimal and not contemporaneous in both apices. Rinodina metaboliza is very variable in thallus development and colour, apothecial convexity, spore size (CV >10 percent), and spore morphology, the characteristic dilation at the septum is sometimes only seen in a minority of spores.
Other corticolous species with Dirinaria-type spores and occupying parts of the distribution range of R. metaboliza are R. albertana, R. colobina, R. oleae and R. riparia. The blastidiate thallus and slightly larger spores of R. albertana separate this species although the blastidia may be easily overlooked. That species has a more restricted distribution on the eastern flanks of the Rocky Mountains as far east the Dakotas. Rinodina colobina has similar sized spores but is easily distinguished from R. metaboliza by its dark consoredia and blue-grey epihymenium. Rinodina oleae and R. riparia both lack vegetative propagules and are distinct from R. metaboliza in possessing smaller and larger ascospores, respectively. Magnusson (1947a) is correct in stating that the type specimen is atypical in possessing a poorly developed thallus. It also possesses widely dispersed, convex apothecia which is more characteristic of f. evoluta. This morphotype has a finely crenulate thalline margin and a well developed, sometimes incompletely covered proper exciple but which in the absence of other distinguishing anatomical characters does not warrant taxonomic recognition. Rinodina norrlandica was included in R. metaboliza by Mayrhofer & Moberg (2002) but it belongs in R. trevisanii (Mayrhofer and Sheard 2007).
Specimens examined. CANADA. ALBERTA. Heatherdown Bog, J.W. Thomson 21534 (WIS); 12 mi SW Cochrane, C.D. Bird 21792; Rocky Mountain House, R.M. Kalgutkar 944 (both PMAE); 16 mi S Rocky Mountain House, J.W. Thomson 21473 (WIS); 6 mi W Chiplake, S.C. Tucker 9415b (LSU); Buffalo Lake Narrows, I.M. Brodo 27890; Elk Island Nat. Park, G.W. Scotter 640 (both CANL); Gap, R.M. Kalgutkar 1159; Jumping Pound, R.M. Kalgutkar 1121; 4 mi N Jumping Pound Ranger Station, E.J. Lakusta 676; Willow Creek Ranger Station, C.D. Bird 20762 (all PMAE); Winfield, I.M. Brodo 31272b (CANL). BRITISH COLUMBIA. Wells Gray Prov. Park, Clearwater River, C. Bjorke 9812 (Goward personal herb.); Ray's Farm, 1994, T. Goward (SASK); Trophy Mountain, 1994, T. Goward (GZU). MANITOBA. 35 km S The Pas, J.W. Sheard 5205, 5206 (SASK); Buchan, 1968, R.E. Wall (PMAE); Cranberry Portage, J.W. Sheard 5203; Lake Winnipegosis, J.W. Sheard 5207; Singush Lake, J.W. Sheard (all SASK); The Pas, J.W. Thomson 3674, 3815 (CANL); Wanless, Rocky Lake, J.W. Sheard 5204 (SASK). NORTHWEST TERRITORIES. Crossley Lakes, G.W. Scotter 8172 (CANL); Keele River, J.W. Thomson 14820, 15696 (WIS); Anderson River, G.W. Scotter 5675 (H); G.W. Scotter 5697 (CANL); Crossley Lakes, G.W. Scotter 8150c, 8168a, 8169b (H); Little Gull River, G.W. Scotter 8263 (CANL, H). NUNAVUT. Wright River, W.A. Gould 1232 (MIN). ONTARIO. Carleton Co., Ottawa, 1911, J. Macoun (FH); Grenville Co., 10 mi S Kemptville, 1973, P.Y. Wong (COLO); P.Y. Wong 1291; Kenora District, 51 mi E Dryden, I.M. Brodo 14874; Kenora Dist., Kapiskau River, G.S. Ringius 10 (all CANL); Thunder Bay Dist., Marathon, C.M. Wetmore 88097 (MIN); Neys Prov. Park, 1993, S. Sharnoff (CANL); Patterson Island, C.M. Wetmore 28680, 29470b (MIN); Sibley Prov. Park, G. Thorn 256 (CANL). Abitibi‑Ouest Co., Roquemaure, S.R. Clayden 2071, 2076, 2091 (personal herb.); Le Jacques Cartier Co., Isle Bizard, I.M. Brodo 16784B (WIS). SASKATCHEWAN. 17 km W Hudson Bay, J.W. Sheard 5213; 40 km W Melfort, J.W. Sheard 5215; 5 mi NE Duck Lake, 1992, J.W. Sheard; Armit River Picnic Area, J.W. Sheard 5211a (all SASK); Cypress Hills, 1964, M.E. Jonescu (WIS); Emma Lake, J.W. Sheard 4704; Forks Prov. Picnic Site, J.W. Sheard 5251b; Fort Esperance, J.W. Sheard 5261; Kenosee Lake, J.W. Sheard 5254a; La Ronge, J.A. Jesberger 961; Besnard Lake, 1970, D. Whitfield (all SASK); Pelletier, J. Looman 24.16 (WIS); Prince Albert Nat. Park, 1994, J.W. Sheard; Waskesiu, J.A. Jesberger 1100, 1216, 1345 (all SASK). YUKON. Trout Lake, J.W. Thomson 14736 (WIS). GREENLAND. Marmorilik, Umanak, J. Poelt (GZU). U.S.A. ALASKA. E Palmer, T. Tønsberg 29691 (BG); Tanana River, L.A. Viereck 7902a (SASK). ARIZONA. Gila Co., Pine Canyon, T.H. Nash 42002b; Pima Co., Mount Lemon, T.H. Nash 21205 (both ASU); Santa Catalina Mountains, E.A. Duever 421 (CANL). MARYLAND. Montgomery Co., Boyds, A.C. Skorepa 10850 (BALT). MICHIGAN. Dickinson Co., Ralph, R.C. Harris 7477 (MSC); Keweenaw Co., Feldtman Lookout Tower, C.M. Wetmore 48546; Isle Royale Nat. Park, C.M. Wetmore 52190 (both MIN); S.C. Tucker 10576 (LSU); Siskiwit Bay, C.M. Wetmore 49144 (MIN). MINNESOTA. Cook Co., Grand Portage, 1897, B. Fink (MICH, MIN); Sea Gull Lake, C.M. Wetmore 57064; Lake Co., N Dumbell Lake, C.M. Wetmore 64197; St. Louis Co., 11 mi E Aurora, C.M. Wetmore 30855; Voyageurs Nat. Park, C.M. Wetmore 31574, 34670 (all MIN). NEVADA. Elko Co., 4 km SW Jarbridge, R. Rosentreter 4661 (SASK). PENNSYLVANIA. Carbon Co., Lehigh Gorge State Park, J.C. Lendemer 1566 (PH). SOUTH DAKOTA. Lawrence Co., Dalton Campground, C.M. Wetmore 10571A (CANL); Pennington Co., 1 mi NNW Mount Perrin, R.A. Anderson 20630 (MSC); Rapid City, C.M. Wetmore 8119 (DUKE); R.A. Anderson 20560 (COLO); Seth Bullock Tower, C.M. Wetmore 8098b, 8119 (MSC); Silver City, R.A. Anderson 20630 (COLO).
Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2004. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 2.
Thallus: evanescent or thin, discontinuous, becoming rimose-areolate, areoles up to 0.3-1.4 mm wide, convex when small, otherwise plane or rugose surface: light to dark gray, sometimes ochraceous or brown, dull; margin: thallus determinate or indeterminate; prothallus: lacking; vegetative propagules: absent Apothecia: adnate, frequent, dispersed or contiguous, up to 0.25-0.8 mm in diam. disc: black and plane, frequently becoming convex or half-globose thalline margin: concolorous with thallus, 0.05-0.1 mm wide, entire or incompletely formed and beaded, frequently becoming excluded; excipular ring: often present, raised thalline exciple: 35-90 µm wide laterally; cortex: 10(-15) µm wide; cells: up to 4-6.5 µm wide, pigmented or not; algal cells: up to 7.5-15 µm in diam.; thalline exciple: 35-90 µm wide below; cortex: 10-30 µm, cellular to intricate proper exciple: hyaline or light brown, 10-15 µm wide laterally, expanding to 15-30(40) µm at periphery hymenium: 65-95 µm tall, paraphyses: 1.5-2.5 µm wide, not conglutinate, with apices up to 3.5-6 µm wide, darkly pigmented forming a dark brown epihymenium; hypothecium: hyaline or light brown, (20)50-65(-80) µm thick asci: clavate, 45-60 x 12-23 µm, 8-spored ascospores: brown, 1-septate, ellipsoid, type B development, Dirinaria-type, (13.5-)17.5-19(-23) x (6.5)8-9(-10.5) µm, lumina angular at first (Physcia-like), becoming inflated but apical walls remaining thick, usually dilated at septum, more so in K, sometimes submucronate; torus: absent; walls: minutely ornamented Pycnidia: not seen Spot tests: all negative Secondary metabolites: none detected. Substrate and ecology: on deciduous and coniferous trees, more rarely on wood or plant detritus on ground, at elevations of 100-2755 m World distribution: uncommon in boreal regions of Scandinavia, Siberia, more frequent in boreal North America (Canada, southwards at high elevations to Arizona) Sonoran distribution: Gila and Pima Counties, Arizona, at elevations of 2235-2755 m. Notes: Rinodina metaboliza occurs on bark and is characterized by a thallus lacking secondary metabolites and Dirinaria-type spores inflated at the septum, becoming more so in K. Rinodina metaboliza is a boreal species reaching its southern limit in the study area.