Lecidea antiloga Stirt. was described from a collection from decorticate lignum from near Aviemore, Scotland (Stirton 1878), and has subsequently been reported from northern, western and central Europe as well as Asia (Aptroot et al. 2009). In Scandinavia it has been reported from Finland, Norway and Sweden (Santesson et al. 2004). It is an inconspicuous species usually lacking a visible thallus and with small (0.15–0.25 mm diam.) black marginate apothecia (Fig. 1). Microscopically it is readily distinguished by its small (4–6 µm diam.), globose ascospores (Fig. 2A) and Biatora type asci (Fig. 2B). Clearly, it does not belong in Lecidea s. str., but its systematic position is currently unclear. Lecidea antiloga usually occurs on decorticate wood (e.g., fence posts) but in Scandinavia it has also been reported from Juniperus.
While investigating the lichen collections made by Henry Imshaug and Richard Harris from the Falkland Islands in 1969 and now housed in the herbarium of Michigan State University (MSC; Fryday & Prather 2001), I came across several collections from fence posts and decorticate Empetrum stems that had been identified by Imshaug as Lecidea globulisporaNyl. These collections had all the characteristic features of L. antiloga and subsequent comparison with a specimen of that species from Scotland (see below) confirmed that they were conspecific.
The date of publication of Lecidea globulispora is usually given (e.g. Zahlbruckner 1928) as 1888 (Nylander 1888), which would mean that L. antiloga has nomenclatural precedence over L. globulispora. However, Nylander (1888) cites two earlier references for L. globulispora: “Enumér. Lich. p. 122” (Nylander 1858) , and “Lich. exot. p. 263” (Nylander 1859). The former is just a list of species that includes L. globulispora (nomen nudum), but the latter reads “L. globulispora Nyl., ad Fretum Magellan. (Lechl. Pl. Magell. 982), supra herbas vetusas; thecis polysporis.” Although this description is inaccurate (the asci are not polyspored) the name is still validly published and so L. globulispora has precedence over L. antiloga and is the correct name for this species.
Apart from the collections mentioned here, Lecidea globulispora does not appear to have been collected or reported from South America since the type collection. It does not appear in the current Chilean lichen checklist (Galloway & Quilhot 1998) and the collections of Imshaug & Harris from the Falkland Islands are the only records mentioned in the current Argentinian lichen checklist (Calvelo & Liberatore 2002). Unfortunately, the exact locality from which the type collection was made is unclear. Nylander (1859, 1888) cites only “Fret. Magellan” (Straits of Magellan), which is the channel that separates Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego from the rest of Chile, and this is the only locality or habitat detail on the label of the type collection (L. Myllys pers. comm.). However, Godley (1970) cites Grisebach (1854) that Lechler’s Plantae magellanicae numbers 969 and 978 were collected from Punta Arenas (Chile) in October 1852, and so it is probable that the type collection of L. globulispora, which is Plantae magellanicae number 982, was collected at about the same time and place.
Thallus not apparent, immersed in substratum; photobiontchlorococcoid, 9–12 µm diam. Apotheciafrequent, black, lecideine, 0.2–0.24(–0.6) µm diam., sessile, flat with a persistent raised proper margin. Hymenium composed of stout (2–3 µm wide), simple or sparingly branched, distinctly capitate (to 5 µm wide) paraphyses that are lax in K; epihymenium brown (H+ brown, N+ red) to dark blue-green (H+ blue, N+ red). Hypothecium hyaline, but with numerous minute brown crystals dissolving in K. Ascusof Biatora-type; ascosporessimple, globose, 4–6 µm diam., 8/ascus. Exciple hyaline but with numerous minute brown crystals dissolving in K; composed of thin anastomosing hyphae with enlarged brown-pigmented cortical cells. Conidiomata not observed.
Chemistry.Not tested by spot test reagents or TLC (endoxylic thallus).
Remarks. Lecidea globulispora is a distinctive species microscopically because of its small, globose ascospores. The only species in the Scandinavian mycobiota with which it might be confused is Lecanora boligera (Th.Fr.) Hedl., which is similar, but grows on live wood (twigs), has a dispersed epiphytic thallus, apothecia with a paler disc and a thalline margin when young, and larger (6–7 µm diam.) ascospores. However, it has the same minute crystals in the exciple and hypothecium as L.globulispora and the relationship between the two species warrants further investigation.
Fryday, A. M. Graphis Scripta 21: 57–60. (2009)
Lecidea globulispora Nyl.
Mycobank No.: 390821
Lich. exot.: 263. (1859). Type: [?Chile,] ad Fretum Magellan, supra herbas vetusas (Lechl. Pl. Magell. 982, (H-Nyl 19492, holotype, non vidi).
Lecidea antiloga Stirt. syn. nov., Scot. Natural.4: 164 (1878); Lecidella antiloga (Stirt.) M.Choisy, Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. LyonXIX: 20. (1950); Biatora antiloga (Stirt.) Walt. Wats., Census catalogue of British lichens: ix. 1953 Type: [U.K., Scotland,] ad lignum corticartum prope Aviemore (GLAM, non vidi).
Lecidea antiloga subsp. infralapponica Vain. Meddel. Soc. Fauna Flora Fenn.10: 100 (1883); Lecidea infralapponica (Vain.) H.Olivier, Bull. Géogr. Bot.XXV: 168 (1915). Type: ad pontem ligneum prope Säynäjä in par. Kuhmo in regione infralapponica (TUR, non vidi).
Description
Thallus not apparent, immersed in substratum. Photobiont chlorococcoid, 9–12 8m diam.
Apothecia frequent, black, lecideine, 0.2– 0.24(–0.6) µm diam., sessile, flat with a persistent raised proper margin. In section: proper exciple hyaline but with numerous minute brown crystals dissolving in K; composed of thin anastomosing hyphae with enlarged brown-pigmented cortical cells. Hymenium composed of stout (2–3 8m wide), simple or sparingly branched, distinctly capitate (to 5 µm wide) paraphyses that are lax in K; epihymenium brown (H+ brown, N+ red) to dark blue-green (H+ blue, N+ red). Hypothecium hyaline, but with numerous minute brown crystals dissolving in K. Ascus of Biatora-type; ascospores simple, globose, 4–6 µm diam., 8/ascus.
Conidiomata not observed.
Chemistry. Not tested by spot test reagents or TLC (endoxylic thallus).