Taxonomic novelties and new records of Fennoscandian crustose lichens
Author
Svensson, Mans
Author
Ekman, Stefan
Author
Klepsland, Jon T.
Author
Nordin, Anders
Author
Goeran Thor,
Author
Hirschheydt, Gesa von
Author
Jonsson, Fredrik
Author
Knutsson, Tommy
Author
Lif, Mattias
Author
Toby Spribille,
Author
Westberg, Martin
text
MycoKeys
2017
25
51
86
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.25.13375
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.25.13375
1314-4049-25-51
Puttea duplex (Coppins & Aptroot) M.Svensson
comb. nov.
Fellhanera
duplex
Coppins & Aptroot, Lichenologist 40: 368 (2008). - Type: Wales, V.C. 46, Cardigan, Cwm Rheidol, Coed Simdde-lwyd NNR 22/(SN)/718.785, alt. 200 m, open valley-side
Quercus petraea
woodland, on
Hypnum
'drip
tassel'
on trunk of fairly well-lit, S-facing
Q. petraea
, 15 April 2001, S. P. Chambers (E-00169970, holotype, seen by MS; GZU, isotype, not seen).
Remarks.
New to Sweden. Originally described from Scotland and Wales (
Coppins and Aptroot 2008
), and was recently reported from Norway (
Tonsberg
2016
).
When describing this species,
Coppins and Aptroot (2008)
assigned it to
Fellhanera
on account of its similarity to
F. margaritella
(Hulting) Hafellner. Subsequently,
F. margaritella
was transferred to
Puttea
by
Stenroos et al. (2009)
.
Puttea
was initially
monotypic
, but Stenroos et al. listed several other candidates for inclusion, of which two were later combined into the genus:
P. exsequens
(Nyl.) Printzen & Davydov (
Davydov and Printzen 2012
) and
P. caesia
(Fr.) M.Svensson & T.Sprib. (
Dillman et al. 2012
).
P. duplex
is distinct from the other three species by having 16-24 ascospores per ascus, but otherwise fits well in
Puttea
on account of having minute, pale apothecia, asci with a KI+ blue tholus penetrated by a canal that slightly widens towards the apex, and crystals that dissolve in K in the epihymenium and hymenium.
According to
Coppins and Aptroot (2008)
, the exciple of
P. duplex
is paraplectenchymatous, which would be consistent with a placement in
Fellhanera
(
Luecking
2008
), while
Puttea margaritella
(the type species of that genus) has a strongly gelatinized exciple composed of branched, parallel hyphae (
Stenroos et al. 2009
). Although the exciple of
P. duplex
is often poorly developed and difficult to observe, we found that it is in fact quite similar to that of
P. margaritella
, being strongly gelatinized and consisting of dichotomously branched hyphae with narrowly cylindrical cell lumina.
The Swedish specimen was found on bark of
Betula
in a mature coniferous production forest. The specimen differs from the original description in having longer ascospores (-9
µm
versus -5
µm
) and by growing directly on bark and not over bryophytes. However, as the original description of
F. duplex
was based on only three specimens, the range of variation in ascospore size is possibly larger than indicated there and the ecology of the species may likewise be broader. Since the Swedish specimen agrees well with the holotype in other respects, we prefer to include it in
P. duplex
pending further studies.
Additional specimen examined: SWEDEN:
Haelsingland
,
Bollnaes
par., 8,5 km SW of Hanebo church, 1 km S of
Haellbo
, SE of
Skidtjaernen
, on stem of living
Betula pubescens
(23 cm diam.) in mature coniferous forest, alt. 120 m,
61°12'N
16°25'E
, 22 August 2012, F. Jonsson FU9206 (UPS L-786606).