Lecanoropsis subravida (Nyl.) Ivanovich & Printzen, 2025

Ivanovich, Cristóbal, Weber, Lilith, Palice, Zdeněk, Hollinger, Jason, Otte, Volker, Sohrabi, Mohammad, Sheehy, Steve & Printzen, Christian, 2025, A taxonomic revision of the lichen genus Lecanoropsis (Lecanoraceae), Phytotaxa 695 (1), pp. 1-56 : 47-48

Lecanoropsis subravida (Nyl.) Ivanovich & Printzen , comb. nov. Fig. 13C & D, 16D.

MycoBank nº: 847158

Basionym: Lecanora subravida Nyl. , Flora 55: 250 (1872).

Type:— SWITZERLAND, Schaerer, Lich. Helv. Exs. Ed. I 544 ( M — lectotype, designated by van den Boom & Brand, 2008; as Parmelia varia β sarcopis ; not studied) .

Thallus episubstratal, rarely endosubstratal, effuse, smooth to warted or granulose and uneven, whitish, pale brown or greyish brown to beige. Photobiont a chlorococcoid/trebouxoid alga. Apothecia rounded to polygonal or deformed, commonly single and scattered or forming small groups, (0.50–)0.54–0.76(–0.85) mm in diameter. Apothecial disc weakly concave to flat, rarely weakly convex, light brown to ochre to very dark brown or black, normally matte, rarely weakly glossy, epruinose to finely white pruinose. Apothecial margin thick, smooth to subrugose, continuous and raised in young apothecia, in old apothecia persistent, but receding unevenly forming hemispherical warts giving it a knobbly appearance, (0.04–)0.06–0.15(–0.2) mm wide. White or whitish-beige. Amphithecium algal layer almost reaching the surface, separating the hymenium from the amphithecial cortex. Rarely with golden-brown granules accumulating in the algal layer and in the inner edge of the cortex. Amphithecial cortex thin to ecorticated at the top and the side of the apothecia, where the algal layer reaches the edge, becoming very thick at the base, heavily gelatinized, (16–)18–33(–40) µm wide laterally, (33–)56–91(–116) µm wide basally, hyaline. Parathecium narrow, hyaline. Epihymenium faint brown to brown due to an unknown brown pigment (see Notes below; see Table 4), rarely hyaline, usually with a thin to very thick golden-brown epipsamma on top, that normally streaks into the hymenium; rarely with a thick continuous layer of gel on top of the paraphysis tips. Hymenium hyaline, inspersed with granules, (45–)50–60(– 70) µm. Subhymenial layers hyaline, inspersed with granules from hymenium, very rarely with large golden-brown crystals, or with needle-shaped crystals, (60–)110–165(–250) µm. Paraphyses commonly branching, very rarely anastomosing, 1.5–2 µm wide, apices irregularly capitate, some specimens have weakly capitated paraphyses, other specimens with conspicuously widened apices, apices 2–3.5 µm wide, gel sheath at apices 2.5–5 µm wide. Spores ellipsoid to suborbicular, simple, hyaline, (7.5–)8.5–11.9(–13.5) × (3.5–)4.8–5.8(–7.0) µm. Conidia : Macroconidia crescent-shape, 9–10 × 3.5–4 µm. Other types of conidia were not found by us, but van den Boom & Brand (2008) reported the presence of microconidia and leptoconidia in addition to macroconidia: “ microconidia curved, 7–8 × 0.8 µm, leptoconidia curved, ca. 10.8–11 × 0.7–0.9 µm”.

Chemistry: Usnic (major) and isousnic acid (major/minor to trace or absent), ±pseudoplacodiolic (trace) and squamatic acid (only in a single specimen). Placodiolic acid was reported by van den Boom and Brand (2008). The last substance was detected by us through HPLC, but not by TLC.

Substrate: Commonly lignicolous, but also found growing on bark.

Ecology: Studied specimens were found in mixed montane and subalpine conifer and broad-leaved forests, between 540–2420 m altitude. van den Boom and Brand (2008) reported a specimen collected at 475 m alt.

Distribution: The Caucasus region and Northern Iran, Central and Western North America, Central and Northern Europe (possibly extinct in Germany, declared as Critically Endangered for the Czech Republic in Malíček, 2023); and only recently reported from Scandinavia ( Svensson et al., 2024).

Notes: This is a conspicuous species among Lecanoropsis , which can be distinguished by its amphithecial cortex that is very thin near the hymenium, but becoming much wider at the base, similarly like in the amphithecial cortex in L. coracina . L. coracina however produces consistently Cinereorufa -green in the epihymenium, whereas in L. subravida , an undescribed brown epihymenial pigment was detected which does not seem to fit any of the pigments described by Meyer and Printzen (2000) and Orange et al. (2001) ( Table 4).

Many morpho-chemical characters obtained from the specimens labelled as L. coniferarum coincides and overlaps with those of L. subravida , including thallus morphology, apothecial size, colour, form, margins, internal anatomy, as well as macroconidia of the same size and roughly the same shape. This comparison also took into consideration the description of L. subravida by van den Boom & Brand (2008). Synonymization of Lecanoropsis coniferarum with Lecanoropsis subravida was originally considered by us. Recently, however, Svensson et al. (2024) published a phylogenetic analysis focused on L. subravida from Sweden, using also sequences from the Caucasus, Iran and North America published by Ivanovich et al. (2021) and concluded that L. subravida includes more than one species. In the light of this new information, we prefer to keep L. coniferarum and L. subravida as separate entities.

Selected specimens studied: IRAN. Mazandaran Province: Nur county, ca 31 km along Baladeh-Royan Road, ca. 2.5 km towards Sang-e-no village, ca. 1670 m alt., 36°23.2140’ N 51°52.3830’ E, 30 July 2018, M. Sohrabi & C. Printzen 14917 (FR-0362804; ICH), Lecanomics Code: 166; Golestan Province: Kordkuy county, ca 30 km along Kordkuy-Derazno Road, ca. 2.5 km from Derazno village towards TV Station, ca. 2420 m alt., 36°39.6961’ N 54° 7.7480’ E, 01 August 2018, M. Sohrabi & C. Printzen 15010 (FR-0362805; ICH), Lecanomics Code: 167; GERMANY. Bayern, Am morschen Holze alter Fichtenstrünke im Walde nördlich von Hohenbrunn bei München. 13 May 1888, Arnold, Lich. Exs. 1384 (FR-0050699); alter Fichtenstrunk im Walde östlich zwischen Gauting und Mühlthal, 18 August 1889, Arnold, Lich. Monac. Exs. 32 (FR-0050709); MEXICO. Baja California del Norte: Guadalupe Isl., near the northern peak on ridge, In open Cupressus forest, on Cupressus guadalupensis , 1250 m, 29.0944 N 118.3111 W, 02 January 1996, T. H. Nash III 38324 ( ASU-L 005788); C. Wetmore 75836 (MIN-877305); RUSSIA. Adygea: Maykopsky District, ca. 6.5 km S of village Guzeripl, Mt. Abago, 1720 m, 43°56.1667’ N 40°8.8069’ E, 12 June 2016, Z. Palice 22535 (FR-0362806; PRA) Lecanomics Code: 578; 2070 m alt., 43°58.3582’ N 40°28.1584’ E, 14 September 2018, V. Otte 60014 ( GLM) Lecanomics Code: 1114; Krasnodar Krai: Maykopsky District, 2070 m alt., 43°58.3498’ N 40°28.1836’ E, 13 September 2018, V. Otte 54344 ( GLM) Lecanomics Code: 291; U.S.A. Arizona: Apache Co., Apache Nat. For., Mount Baldy Wilderness area, trail from Phelp’s cabin along East Fork of Little Colorado River, on Abies , 3000 m, 33.925 N 109.517 W, 01 July 1990, B. Ryan & T. H. Nash III 26877 ( ASU); B. Ryan & T. H. Nash III 26899 ( ASU); Green Mt., on dead Pseudotsuga , 3080 m, 34.1167 N 109.5833 W, 26 July 1973, T. H. Nash III 7751-a ( ASU-L 008159); Cochise Co., trail from Rustler’s Park to summit of Fly’s Peak, Chiricahua Mountains, W of Portal, spruce-fir zone, 2591–3048 m, 31.88 N 109.23 W, 18 April 1957, W. A. Weber & S. Shushan 14102 ( COLO L-0020728); Huachuca Mts., N-side of Carr Peak, on dead wood, 2286 m, 31.4167 N 110.25 W, 14 September 1976, T. H. Nash III 14520 ( ASU-L 008181); W side San Francisco Peaks, near the road to Snow Bowl, on Pseudotsuga menziesii , 2680 m, 35.3333 N 111.7 W, 14 July 1973, T. H. Nash III 7490 ( COLO L-0020722); San Francisco Peaks, Agassiz Peak, above Snow Bowl, NW slope, on wood, 3200 m, 35.3333 N 111.6833 W, 29 September 1981, V. Wirth 10998 & T. H. Nash III ( ASU); Gila Co., Mogollon Rim, NE end of Pine Canyon ca. 7 km NNE of Pine, dense forest of Pseudotsuga menziesii , Abies lasiocarpa , Pinus strobiformis , Acer grandidentum , on Pseudotsuga menziesii , 2000 m, 34.4417 N 111.4028 W, 19 September 1997, C. Printzen s.n. ( ASU; hb. Printzen); Pima Co., Rincon Section, Italian Spring, Saguaro Nat. Mon., on douglasfir snag, 32°13’42”N, 110°32’28”W, 21 June 1986, C. Wetmore 55039 (MIN-783330); California: Mariposa Co., Yosemite Nat. Park, Mouth of Pigeon Gulch at Highway 140 where it joins the Merced River, foothill woodland of Quercus wislizenii , Pinus sabiniana , 540 m, 37°39.936’ N, 119°48.333’ W, 20 September 2009, C. Printzen 12127 (FR-0362807); San Bernardino, Transverse Range, 2159 m alt., 34°14.8036’ N 117°0.1414’ W. 09 June 2014, K. Knudsen 16879 (NY-2203860), Lecanomics Code: 275; Colorado: Larimer Co., Cow Creek Valley N of Estes Park, Rocky Mts. NP, 40°24’43” N 105°33’44” W, 03 August 1984, C. Wetmore 53461 (MIN-877395); New Mexico: Otero Co., Sacramento Mountains, Cloudcroft, 18 May 1904, Shimek s.n. (MIN-895984); Montana: Mineral Co., Along Clark Fork River 4 km west of Superior, near Lozeau, 855 m alt., 47º07’ N 114º47’ W, September 1993, B. McCune 21124 (FR-0059705); Tulare Co., Crystal Cave Rd at Gen. Highway, Sequoia NP, steep S facing slope at bottom of valley, on sequoia log, 1676 m, 36°33’31” N 118°47’01” W, 11 May 1984, C. Wetmore 50727 (MIN-779627); Oreole Lake SW of Pine Top Mt., on incense cedar snag, 36°27’33” N 118°44’14” W, 21 May 1984, C. Wetmore 51211 (MIN-779611); Milk Ranch Peak at border of park E of headquarters, Arond peak with white fir, incense cedar, pines and rocks; on conifer stump, 1859 m, 36°29’11” N 118°46’51” W, 21 May 1984, C. Wetmore 51192 (MIN-779612).