TYPE. RUSSIA. Primorsky [Krai], Lazo region, Lazovsky reserve, ~5 km south of “kordon Korpadj”. Alt. ~200 m. On the bark of Phellodendron amurense in very shaded and moist situation in mixed Pinus-deciduous forest, 1990, Titov 3826 (LE, holotype; UPS, isotype).
Description. Life form: borderline lichen.
[Modified from Titov 1993] Thallus absent; ascomata associated with Trentepohlia alga. Ascomata stalked apothecia, small, (0.20-)0.23-0.33(-0.40) mm high, black, without pruina. Capitulum obconical, later lenticular to subspherical, often irregular (0.08-)0.10-0.20(-0.30) mm in diameter. Epithecium thin, pale; hypothecium 60-80 μm high; hymenium and hypothecium greenish brown. Excipulum brown, 8-15 μm thick, formed by 2-3 layers of isodiametric to slightly elongated and periclinally arranged, thick-walled, ~34 μm large cells. Stalks straight, (0.02-)0.03-0.05(-0.07) mm in diam., shiny black. Outer part of stalk consists of thick-walled, brown, periclinally arranged cells. Central part of stalk formed by pale, interwoven and largely periclinally arranged hyphae. All parts of the apothecium H-, K-. Asci (28.0-)29.4-35.3(-40.5) x (2.8-)2.9-3.4(-3.7) μm, cylindrical or narrowly clavate. Ascus apex thickened and penetrated by a fine canal. Ascospores uniseriately or sometimes biseriately arranged in the asci, periclinally or slightly obliquely orientated. Ascopores non-septate, ellipsoidal to allantoid, brown, (4.5-)5.1-6.7(=8.0) x (1.8-)2.0-2.9(-3.0) μm. Surface of mature spores smooth or with a very minute ornamentation under the light microscope, slightly ornamented in SEM (scanning electron microscopy).
Substrate and Habitat. Corticolous on trees in moist forests.
Distribution. Temperate-boreal East Asia-eastern North America disjunct; in North Carolina found in the Blue Ridge ecoregion.
Literature
Selva, S.B. (2013) The calicioid lichens and fungi of the Acadian Forest Ecoregion of northeastern North America, I. New species and range extensions. Bryologist116(3): 248-256.
Titov, A.N. & L. Tibell. (1993) Chaenothecopsis in the Russian Far East. Nordic Journal of Botany13(3): 313-329 (original description).