Waynea giraltiae van den Boom sp. nov

Waynea cretica Llop similis sed differt thallo minute squamuloso, tomentoso, squamulis 0·05–0·3(–0·4) mm latis, apotheciis 0·2–0·9 mm in diametro, griseis vel nigro-fuscis vel nigris; ascosporae fusiformes, (1–)3-septatae, 10–18 × 2–2·5 μm. Conidia filiformia, curvata vel circinata, 20–29 × 0·5 μm. Acidum argopsinum continens.

Typus: Portugal, Algarve, NNW of Tavira, 2 km S of Martim Longo, along road to Vaqueiros, near Finca Rodilha, some scattered Quercus rotundifolia in field, on Q. rotundifolia, 7° 45.3′ W, 37° 25.2′ N, 270 m, 3 March 2006, P. & B van den Boom 36051 (BCN—holotypus; hb. v.d. Boom, hb. Brand—isotypus).

(Figs 1 & 2)

Thallus corticolous on rough bark, effuse, up to 2 cm wide, finely squamulose to somewhat granulose (Fig. 1); squamules scattered to crowded, often aggregated in patches, plane to slightly convex and appressed or strongly convex to subglobose and ascending, imbricate, larger squamules often incised, roundish to somewhat elongate, 0·1–0·3(–0·4) mm wide, up to 0·2 mm thick; with a very fine tomentum on the upper surface and the margins; tomentum consisting of hyaline hairs hardly visible with a hand lens; hairs subulate, composed of thick-walled, (mostly) septate hyphae protruding from the cortex, 10–22 × 3–6(–7) μm (Fig. 2A); upper surface greenish grey, pale brown or yellowish brown to medium brown, matt; upper cortex in section prosoplectenchymatous, 25–35 μm thick, cells strongly conglutinated (Fig. 2A); algal layer 40–80 μm thick; medulla composed of loosely interwoven hyphae; hyphal lumina branched (Fig. 2B); upper surface uneven, irregular, 2·5–3 μm wide; lower cortex absent. Photobiont cells ± globose, 5–12 μm diam. Prothallus not observed.

Fig. 1.

Waynea giraltiae, habitus, showing squamulose thallus and apothecia. Scale = 1 mm.

Fig. 2.

Waynea giraltiae. A, thallus hairs; B, detail of medulla hyphae; C, ascus; D, ascospores. Scales: A–D = 10 μm.

Apothecia rare to abundant, scattered to rarely crowded, appressed to sessile, slightly constricted at base, rounded to sometimes irregularly angular or flexuose, 0·2–0·9 mm diam.; margin prominent, initially raised, especially in young apothecia, becoming level with the disc and excluded in mature apothecia, entire, concolorous with the disc, up to 0·1 mm wide; disc plane to slightly concave, sometimes becoming weakly convex, greyish, dark grey to dark brown or blackish, epruinose, often with a mixture of pale and dark colours (Fig. 1). Excipulum with cortex, prosoplectenchymatous, composed of branched and anastomosing hyphae, to 50 μm wide; hyphae 6–11 × 2–2·5 (–3) μm wide, septate, often strongly constricted at the septa, terminal cells not widened, hyaline at the underside of the excipulum, sometimes violaceous greyish in the upper part. Epihymenium hyaline to spotted pale olive to violaceous greyish to brownish, N+ reddish purple, K+ violet. Hymenium hyaline, 35–50 μm thick. Hypothecium hyaline, with intricated hyphae, 60–100 μm high. Paraphyses weakly conglutinated in water, simple or mostly branched in the upper part, septate, sometimes slightly constricted at the septa, especially at the upper cells, 2–2·5 μm wide in the middle, the top often slightly widened, up to 5 μm wide, hyaline to greyish olive-brown, not covered by a gelatinous layer. Asci 8-spored, Bacidia-type, with tendencies to the Biatora-type, clavate, broadly clavate to broad ellipsoid, often with a gelatinous layer, 18–35 × 10–12 μm (Fig. 2C). Ascospores colourless, fusiform, (1–)3-septate, 12–18 × 2–2·5 μm (Fig. 2D).

Pycnidia very rare, 35–50 μm wide, pale brownish at the upper part, hyaline below; conidia filiform, strongly curved to almost circular, 20–29 × 0·5 μm.

Chemistry. Thallus K−, KC−, C−, Pd+ reddish. Argopsin detected by TLC. Sedifolia-grey (Meyer & Printzen Reference Meyer and Printzen2000) in the epihymenium and in the excipulum.

Etymology. The epithet is chosen in honour of Dr Mireia Giralt for her outstanding work on lichens, especially in taxonomy, in Iberian Peninsula and Macaronesia.

Distribution and ecology. The new species occurs in the south-westernmost part of Europe, in the south-eastern part of Alentejo to the eastern Algarve in Portugal, with a single record from south-western Spain (Fig. 3). It is a lowland species ranging from 125–560 m altitude. The new species is known only from the phorophyte Quercus rotundifolia, from epiphytic communities poor in lichens. In the type locality, accompanying species were Agonimia sp., Bacidia igniarii (Nyl.) Oxner, Caloplaca obscurella (J. Lahm) Th. Fr., Collema sp., Lecania viridulogranulosa (Harm.) Zahlbr., Parmelina tiliacea (Hoffm.) Hale, Phaeophyscia orbicularis (Neck.) Moberg, Physcia sp. and Waynea stoechadiana.

Fig. 3.

Distribution map of the known localities of Waynea giraltiae. Scale = 200 km.

Discussion. In Llop (Reference Llop2006) a key to the known Waynea species is not given, but a table with diagnostic characters is included. Diagnostic characters for W. giraltiae are: squamules flat to convex, often ascending, not sorediate; cortex prosoplectenchymatous, medulla hyphae 2·5–3 μm wide; ascospores fusiform, 12–18 × 2–2·5 μm, 3-septate; thallus containing argopsin. The asci are mostly clearly of Bacidia-type. However, in a few cases asci with a somewhat stronger amyloid central tube, were observed and even the fuzzy coat is usually rather strongly amyloid. Waynea giraltiae is easily confused with W. cretica, which also has small squamules. However these are more adpressed. Ascospores in the latter are acicular, 5-7 septate and 30–45 × 1·5–2 μm. The chemistry is also different, as W. cretica has no chemical compounds. Both species can occur in the same habitats and on the same phorophyte, but W. giraltiae seems to be restricted to one phorophyte only, Quercus rotundifolia, whereas W. cretica has a wider amplitude regarding substratum, occurring on the same Quercus but also on Ceratonia siliqua and Olea europaea (in Portugal). Confusion is also possible with Waynea hirsuta which also has hairy squamules, but the ascospores are 1-septate and somewhat shorter (10–15 × 2–2·4 μm), it has no chemical compounds and it is sorediate. The granular thallus parts resemble Bacidia rubella, occurring in the same habitats as the new species, but in that species the granules are not tomentose and the apothecia are pale to dark red-brown. Waynea giraltiae seems to be a rare species, as the habitats in which it occurs have been found are abundant in the eastern and central part of Algarve and they are not even rare in south-western Spain. Where it occurs, many phorophytes in many localities were checked for Waynea species but it has been found in only five localities, so it seems to be as rare as Waynea cretica. In Portugal the latter species is known from four localities. Waynea stoechadiana appears to be the most common species of the genus in the south of Portugal. It is an accompanying species in many specimens of other taxa (hb van den Boom).

Additional specimens examined. Spain: Huelva: W of Aracena, NNW of Cortegana, Sierra la Cigüeña, road between La Corte and Las Cefiñas, orchard with Quercus rotundifolia on W slope, on Quercus, 6° 50.75′ W, 37° 57.74′ N, 560 m, 2007, P. & B. van den Boom 38637 (hb. v.d. Boom).—Portugal: Alentejo: ENE of Évora, SE of Estremoz, along road from Estremoz (Martires) to Bencatel, 2 km S of crossing to Glória, orchard with outcrops and mature Quercus rotundifolia trees, on Quercus, 7° 30.78′ W, 38° 47.4′ N, 390 m, 2007, P. & B. van den Boom 38732, 38747 (hb. v.d. Boom); SE of Beja, SSE of Serpa, along road to Mértola, c. 3 km S of Santa Iria, orchard with young Quercus suber and mature Quercus rotundifolia trees, on Q. rotundifolia, 7° 31.84′ W, 37° 52.04′ N, 125 m, 2007, P. & B. van den Boom 38690 (hb. v.d. Boom). Algarve: N of Barranco do Velho, S of Almodoro, Ameixial, S of village, on roadside Quercus rotundifolia trees, 7° 57.70′ W, 37° 21.70′ N, 435 m, 2003, P. & B. van den Boom 31139, 31143 (hb. v.d. Boom).