Strangospora himalayana Vish. Kum., Upreti, Nayaka & Y.P. Sharma, 2025

Kumar, Vishal, Ingle, Komal Kumar, Upreti, Dalip Kumar, Nayaka, Sanjeeva & Sharma, Yash Pal, 2025, Two new species of the lichen genus Strangospora (Lecanoromycetes: Strangosporaceae) from India, Phytotaxa 694 (3), pp. 295-300 : 296-299

Strangospora himalayana Vish. Kum., Upreti, Nayaka & Y.P. Sharma sp. nov. Fig. 1A–F

MycoBank: — MB 857435.

Diagnosis:— Similar to Strangospora pinicola in producing a greyish thallus but differing in the K–, N– reaction of the epithecium, blackish pycnidia and globose conidia measuring 2–3 μm.

Type:— INDIA, Jammu and Kashmir, Kishtwar district, Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Marwah, N33°40′07.11′′ E 75°50′06.96′′ on bark, elev. 2540 m, 21 April 2022, Vishal Kumar 22-0466418 (holotype, LWG).

Description:— Thallus crustose, thin, minutely arachnoid, episubstratic, greyish-white. Apothecia biatorine, dark brown to blackish, 0.2–0.7 mm in diam., with a strongly convex disc, without a distinct margin. Proper exciple poorly developed, K–, N–. Epithecium hyaline to pale brown, 8–15 μm thick, K–, N–. Hymenium hyaline to olivaceous in upper part, 55–80 μm high. Paraphyses 1–2.5 μm thick, richly branched and anastamosing. Hypothecium hyaline, 75– 110 μm deep, K–, N–. Asci 50–150 spored, clavate, thickened in upper part, 40–58 × 10–15 μm, without a gelatinous outer layer, the wall and well-developed apical dome K/I+ blue. Ascospores simple, hyaline, globose, 1–2.5 μm in diam. Pycnidia rare, globose, 70–135 μm in diam., appearing as black dots on the thallus. Pycnidial wall hyaline to brown. Conidia simple, hyaline, globose, 2–3 μm in diam.

Chemistry:— Thallus and apothecia K–, C–, KC–, PD–, UV–. No lichen substances detected by TLC.

Ecology and distribution:— Strangospora himalayana is known from the temperate areas of Kishtwar district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir where it has been found growing on bark from two localities at an elevation ranging between 2500–2900 m.

Etymology:— The epithet himalayana refers to the occurrence of the taxon in the Himalayan region.

Notes:— The new species is easily recognised by a thin, greyish white thallus, brown to black apothecia, poorly developed exciple; pale brown epithecium which remain unchanged in K and N; multispored asci with thickened walls and a K/I+ blue apical dome; and simple, globose ascospores. Its paraphyses are richly branched and anastomosing, a character clearly visible in K. Morphologically, the new taxon shows similarities with S. pinicola , which differs in the K+ red brown, N+ orange brown reaction of its epithecium and ellipsoid conidia measuring 3–4 × 1 μm ( Smith et al. 2009; Morse & Lendemer 2019). In the presence of thin, minutely arachnoid thallus, the new taxon shows similarities with S. deplanata (Almq.) Clauzade & Roux , which differs in its flat to weakly convex apothecial discs; well-developed exciple producing a K+ brown reaction; and smaller globose to subglobose conidia measuring 1.5–2 μm in diam. ( Smith et al. 2009; Morse & Lendemer 2019).

Additional specimens examined— INDIA, Jammu and Kashmir, Kishtwar district, Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Metwan, N33°41′37.96′′ E 75°51′37.05′′ on bark, elev. 2900 m, 19 April 2022, Vishal Kumar 22- 047943, 22-047979 ( LWG).

Strangospora submoriformis Vish. Kum., Ingle, Nayaka, Upreti & Y.P. Sharma sp. nov. Fig. 2A–G MycoBank: — MB 857436.

Diagnosis:— Similar to Strangospora moriformis in producing a whitish-grey thallus but differing in in the K–, N– reaction of the epithecium and globose conidia measuring 2.5–3 μm.

Type:— India, Uttarakhand, Haridwar district, near Bhimgoda barrage, N29°57′11.36′′ E 78°11′10.71′′ on bark, elev. 340 m, 16 December 2015, Komal K. Ingle 15-048557 (holotype, LWG).

Description:— Thallus crustose, thinly episubstratic, somewhat granulose, whitish-grey.Apothecia biatorine, brown to dark-brown, 0.04–0.5 mm in diam., with a flat to strongly convex disc, without a distinct margin. Proper exciple poorly developed, K–, N–. Epithecium pale brown, usually with an olivaceous tinge, 7.5–12.5 μm thick, K–, N–. Hymenium hyaline, 45–60 μm high. Paraphyses 1–1.5 μm thick, richly branched and anastamosing. Hypothecium hyaline, 50–85 μm deep. Asci 100–250 spored, clavate, thickened in upper part, 40–50 × 8–15 μm, without a gelatinous outer layer, the wall and well-developed apical dome K/I+ blue. Ascospores simple, hyaline, globose, 2.5–3 μm in diam. Pycnidia globose, ± stalked. Pycnidial wall pale brown to dark brown. Conidia simple, hyaline, globose, 2–3 μm in diam.

Chemistry:— Thallus and apothecia K–, C–, KC–, PD–, UV–. No lichen substances detected by TLC.

Ecology and distribution:— Strangospora submoriformis is collected from single locality of Haridwar in the foothills of Western Himalaya at an elevation of 340 m. It was found growing on a tree bark.

Etymology:— The epithet submoriformis refers to its close resemblance with S. moriformis (Ach.) Stein.

Notes:— The new species is characterized by a thin, granulose, whitish-grey thallus; brown to dark brown, plane to strongly convex apothecia; a poorly developed proper exciple; and olivaceous epithecium that remains unchanged in K and N, multispored asci having thick walls and a K/I+ blue apical dome; and simple, hyaline globose ascospores. In its morphology, the new species resembles Strangospora moriformis , which can be distinguished by its K+ pale greenish grey, N+ mauve-purple epithecium; blue-green or olive-grey hymenium; grey hypothecium; and ellipsoid conidia measuring 2.5–3.5 × 1–1.7 μm ( Smith et al. 2009). In thallus characteristics, the new taxon is similar to S. deplanata . However, S. deplanata differs in having a well-developed exciple; a flat to weakly convex apothecial disc; pale yellow hypothecium; larger ascospores measuring 2–4 μm in diam.; and smaller conidia measuring 1.5–2 μm ( Smith et al. 2009; Morse & Lendemer 2019). Strangospora submoriformis is also distinct from the newly described S. himalayana in having a granular thallus, an olivaceous epithecium, and ascospores measuring 2.5–3 μm in diam., while latter species has a minutely arachnoid thallus, hyaline to pale brown epithecium, and ascospores measuring 1–2.5 μm in diameter.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habit of Strangospora himalayana (holotype). A. Morphology of thallus, apothecia and pycnidia (arrow) B. Close view of young apothecium. C. Section through an apothecium. D. Multispored ascus. E. Ascospores. F. Conidia. Scale bars: A, B = 1 mm; C = 50 μm; D = 20 μm; E, F = 5 μm.

FIGURE 2. Habit of Strangospora submoriformis (holotype). A. Thallus and apothecial morphology. B. Close view of young apothecium C. Stalked pycnidium. D. Section through an apothecium. E. Multispored ascus. F. Ascospores. G. Conidia. Scale bars: A = 1 mm; B = 0.5 mm; C = 0.25 mm; D = 50 μm; E = 20 μm: F, G = 5 μm.