A molecular reappraisal of Abrothallus species growing on lichens of the order Peltigerales
Author
Suija, Ave
Institute of the Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 40 Lai street, EE- 51005, Tartu, Estonia. E-mail:
Author
Ríos, Asunción De Los
Departamento de Biogeoquímica y Ecología Microbiana, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, c / Serrano 115 dpdo, E 28006, Madrid, Spain. E-mail:
Author
Pérez-Ortega, Sergio
Departamento de Biogeoquímica y Ecología Microbiana, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, c / Serrano 115 dpdo, E 28006, Madrid, Spain. E-mail:
text
Phytotaxa
2015
2015-01-29
195
3
201
226
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.195.3.1
journal article
10.11646/phytotaxa.195.3.1
1179-3163
13640528
Abrothallus doliiformis
Pérez-Ortega & Suija
,
sp. nov.
Mycobank MB#809367;
Fig. 4
Diagnosis:—Lichenicolous fungus on
Sticta
sp.
that differs from the rest of
Abrothallus
species
by the superficial, doliiform pycnidia with one-celled, hyaline, obpyriform conidia 9.5–(11.9)–14.5 × 6–(7.5)–9.5 μm in size.
Type:—
PERU
.
Cusco
, Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu, Subida al Huayna Picchu, elev.
2484 m
a.s.l (
13º9’27”S
72º32’17”W
), on
Sticta
sp.
,
14 October 2010
,
S. Pérez-Ortega 2004
&
A. de los Ríos
(
holotype
MA,
isotype
ibid.
S. Pérez-Ortega
2005 &
A. de los Ríos
, MA).
FIGURE 4.
Abrothallus doliiformis
(holotype). a–b: pycnidia; c: cross section of pycnidium; d: detail of the base of the pycnidium; e–f: conidium (DIC). Scale bars: a–b: 0.5 mm; c–d = 100 μm; e–f = 5 μm
Mycelium
immersed in the host thallus, branched, septate, pale to dark brown, composed of hyphae 2–3 μm thick, K/I–.
Conidiomata
pycnidial, arising singly or more often in groups of 4–6, superficial, doliiform, blackish, occasionally with a yellowish pruina covering the surface especially towards the base in mature specimens, unilocular, 250–450 × 200–290 μm.
Walls of conidiomata
40–55 μm thick, composed of 5–8 layers of dark green thick-walled pseudoparenchymatous cells, 6–10 × 3–7 μm in size (
textura angularis
), K+ intense emerald green, N+ brown (dark green pigment turns dark brown and finally light brown), the lower part of the wall is lighter, even hyaline. Ostiole rather wide, irregular.
Conidiophores
absent.
Conidiogenous cells
ampulliform to lageniform, lining the pycnidial cavity, percurrently proliferating, aseptate, hyaline, smooth-walled, 10–18 × 5–8 μm (n=15).
Conidia
holoblastic, obpyriform, with the base abruptly truncated, hyaline, bound by mucilage mass outside the ostiole, simple, with 1–2 guttules, smooth-walled, 9.5–(11.9 ±1.09)–14.5 × 6–(7.5 ±0.68)–9.5 μm (n=44).
Teleomorph
not seen.
Etymology:—The name refers the characteristic barrel-shaped (doliiform) pycnidia.
Notes:—The new species is known only from the
type
locality (
Peru
) where it grew on an unidentified
Sticta
species.
Abrothallus doliiformis
is clearly a pathogenic species causing host damage, easily seen in transverse sections. Cortical areas around the conidiomata are usually black, the area below the thallus surface has a brownish tinge, the photobiont cells have disappeared and thallus seems to be collapsed.
Another anamorphic species on
Sticta
sp.
,
Abrothallus etayoi
(described here) differs in the shape of pycnidia, that are more subglobose in
A. etayoi
, and in the size of conidia, 11–(14.1)–17.5 × 7–(8.9)–11 μm in
A. etayoi
and 9.5–(11.9)–14.5 × 6–(7.5)–9.5 μm in
A. doliiformis
.
Abrothallus kamchatica
differs from both species by the colour (pale brown when mature) and size of conidia (7.5–(8.85)–10.5 × 4.5–(5.6)–6.5 μm).