Mycobiology 37(4) : - (2009)
© The Korean Society of Mycology
Thelotrema subtile
Yogesh Joshi,
and
Verrucaria muralis
New to South Korea
*
Xin Yu Wang, Young Jin Koh and Jae-Seoun Hur
Korean Lichen Research Institute, Sunchon National University, Sunchon 540-742, Korea
(Received
, 2009. Accepted
, 2009)
The paper describes two new records of micro-lichens from South Korea. Detailed taxonomic descriptions and comments
are presented for both of the studied taxa. The lichen genus Thelotrema is reported for the first time in Korea.
KEYWORDS : Geographical distribution, Lichenized fungi, Taxonomy
The present paper is a continuation of a study of microlichens from South Korea (Joshi et al., 2009a, 2009b).
During a recent field trip to Gitdae-bong and Mt. Sorak,
Gangwon Province, the authors found two micro-lichens
growing on bark and rock. After consulting various literatures, the species were identified as Thelotrema subtile
Tuck. and Verrucaria muralis Ach.
This paper contributes to our current knowledge of
micro-lichens reported in this country for the first time,
and expands our knowledge of micro-lichen diversity in
South Korea. Detailed taxonomic descriptions, along with
chemistry, ecology, and illustrations are provided for both
species.
with their duplicates in the Korea National Herbarium
(KH), Korea.
Taxonomic Treatment of the Species
Thelotrema subtile Tuck. (Fig. 1A, B)
Amer. J. Arts Sci., ser. 2, 25: 426 (1858).
Diagnostic characteristics: Thallus corticolous, epiphloedal, whitish, dull to slightly glossy, smooth, continuous to slightly fissured, thin, prothallus not seen (but
when present thin and black). Protocortex discontinuous,
occasionally becoming conglutinated and forming a true
cortex of periclinal hyphae. Algal layer poorly to well
developed, 15~22 µm thick, continuous or discontinuous,
calcium oxalate crystals abundant, scattered or clustered.
Medulla endophloedal. Vegetative propagules absent.
Ascomata apothecia, dispersed, conspicuous, up to
0.5 mm diam., ± rounded to somewhat irregular, sessile,
solitary to marginally or rarely completely fused, ± distinctly
emergent, hemispherical to urceolate or subglobose. Disc
usually becoming partially visible from above in older
ascomata, grey, ± distinctly whitish-pruinose. Pores small
to gaping, to c. 0.4 mm diam., ± rounded to irregular,
entire to slightly split, the proper exciple apically to more
often completely visible from above, apically pale, brownish towards the base, occasionally shrunken, incurved to
somewhat erect. Thalline rim margin thin to thick, usually becoming wide to gaping, entire to split, rarely somewhat eroded, ± rounded to irregularly rounded, mostly
incurved and concolorous with thallus. Proper exciple
free, thick, hyaline to largely pale yellowish internally,
yellowish to greyish brown marginally, apically often dark
brown, rarely amyloid at the base. Hymenium to c. 150 µm
thick, not inspersed, distinctly conglutinated; paraphyses
parallel to slightly swollen, usually unbranched, the tips
irregular; lateral paraphyses inconspicuous, to c. 25 µm
long; columellar structures absent. Epihymenium hyaline
or becoming brownish, usually with fine grayish-brown
Materials and Methods
Specimens were evaluated using standard microscopic
techniques and were hand-sectioned under a NIKON CPS 1068908 dissecting microscope. All measurements
were made on materials mounted in water, and lactophenol cotton blue (LCB) was used only as a stain. For characteristics including the size of the thallus, ascoma, and
the thickness of the hymenium, subhymenium, hypothecium, exciple, involucrellum, and ascospore, 10 measurements per specimen were recorded. The dimensions of the
ascospores are generally expressed in terms of smallest
mean recorded largest mean recorded. Spot test reactions
were conducted on hand sections of thalli and apothecia
under an OLYMPUS BX 50 microscope. Secondary
metabolites were identified via TLC as described by Elix
et al. (1987) and White and James (1985). The terminology used for tissues is generally consistent with that of
Nash III and Gries (2002). Voucher specimens of all collections have been deposited in the herbarium of the
Lichen and Allied Bioresource Center, Korean Lichen
Research Institute (KoLRI), Sunchon National University
*Corresponding author <E-mail : jshur1@sunchon.ac.kr>
1
2
Fig. 1.
Joshi et al.
Habit and Apothecial anatomy of two lichen species newly reported in this study. A (Bar = 5 µm) and B (Bar = 50 µm)
Thelotrema subtile Tuck; C (Bar = 5 µm) and D (Bar = 100 µm) Verrucaria muralis Ach.
granules and small crystals. Asci 4~8 spored. Ascospores
transversely septate, oblong-fusiform to clavate, the ends
±rounded to acute, hyaline, post mature or decaying
ascospores brownish, faintly to moderately amyloid,
30~50 × 7~10 µm, with 8~16 locules; locules ± rounded
to slightly angular, rarely subglobose to lentiform; end
cells hemispherical to conical; septa thick, regular;
ascospore wall thick, thinly halonate, often crenate.
Pycnidia not seen.
Chemistry: Spot test reactions: all negative. Secondary
metabolites: none detected.
Ecology: At the collection site the species is found
growing over Acer bark at an altitude of 798 m.
Geographical distribution: Africa, North and South
America, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific region, India,
Japan, Java and Philippines (Awasthi 1991; Frisch 2006;
Mangold et al. 2009; Matsumoto 2000; Riddle 1923; Salisbury 1975).
Remarks: The species is characterized by thin, ecorticate, whitish thallus; mostly small, ±emergent ascomata
with a free proper exciple; small transversely septate, hyaline, I+ purplish-blue ascospores with a crenate surface
and the absence of secondary metabolites. It is frequently
confused with T. pseudosubtile Mangold, T. diplotrema
Nyl. and T. euphorbiae A. Frisch. T. pseudosubtile differs
in having hyaline spores that never turn brown on matu-
rity and restricted Australian distribution. T. diplotrema
has larger ascospores with thick lateral walls [1418 loculate and 50~70 × 7.5~10 µm in size] while, T. euphorbiae
has thin-walled I-ascospores and produces stictic or
hypostictic acids in the thallus.
Specimen examined: South Korea, Gangwon Prov., Mt.
Sorak, N 38 05' 270", E 128 25' 131", alt. 798 m, on
Acer bark, 25 May 2009, Y. Joshi & X. Y. Wang 090921
(KoLRI).
o
o
Verrucaria muralis Ach. (Fig. 1C, D)
Meth. Lich.: 115 (1803).
Diagnostic characteristics: Thallus saxicolous, epilithic,
olive green to pale brownish, dull, epruinose, continuous
to irregularly rimose, thin to ± thick, with an indistinct
margin and usually without a visible prothallus, areoles
subangular to irregular, 0.15~0.35 mm wide. Upper cortex indistinct, thin, epinecral layer absent, algal layer paraplectenchymatous, continuous, 50~75 µm thick, algal cells
densely packed, medulla of loose hyphae, with inspersed
substrate grains and crystals, colourless. Vegetative
propagules absent.
Ascomata perithecia, sessile to semi-immersed, brownish black, dome shaped, emergent portion naked, ostioles
inconspicuous to excavate. Exciple subglobose, 0.25~
0.35 mm wide, colorless to pale brownish. Involucrellum
New Records of Lichens from Korea
extending down to middle part of the perithecium, slightly
spreading away from the exciple, 30~50 µm thick, slightly
thinning downwards. Periphyses sparsely branched and
anastomosing. Asci 8-spored. Ascospores hyaline, simple,
ellipsoid, 18~22 × 8~10 µm.
Pycnidia not seen.
Chemistry: Spot test reactions: all negative. Secondary
metabolites: none detected.
Ecology: At the collection site the species was found
growing over calcareous rocks in dry and shady regions at
an altitude of 1222 m.
Geographical distribution: Eurasia, Japan (Harada
1996), Taiwan, North Africa, North America, New
Zealand, Australia, and the Sonoran Desert (Breuss 2007;
Fröberg 1989; van Herk and Aptroot 2004).
Remarks: The species is characterized by epilithic,
olive brown thallus, medium-sized and partly immersed
perithecia with involucrellum enclosing half of the exciple. The only other species of
known from
South Korea (
Ach.) differs in having narrowly elliptical, smaller ascospores (10~20 × 5~9 µm).
Servít, differs in having smaller perithecia
with darker exciples and thicker, more deeply-reaching
involucrella, whereas
Pers. differs in having
a thicker thallus with a black basal layer.
Specimen examined: South Korea, Gangwon Prov., Mt.
Sorak, N 37 18' 367", E 128 56' 766", alt. 1222 m, on
rocks, 15 May 2009, Y. Joshi & X. Y. Wang 090417
(KoLRI).
Verrucaria
V.
glaucina
V.
calkinsiana
V. nigrescens
o
o
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a grant from Korea National
Research Resource Center Program (Grant 20090062634),
and the project on survey and excavation of Korean indigenous species of the National Institute of Biological
Resources (NIBR) under the Ministry of Environment,
Korea. Wang was supported by the Korea Research Foundation Grant funded by the Korean Government (MOEHRD, Basic Research Promotion Fund) (KRF-2007-211C00040). One of the authors (Y. Joshi) is thankful to Miss
Jung Ae Ryu, Hae Sook Jeon and Jin Young Hur for their
kind cooperation during the study.
3
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