The Lichenologist 40(6): 535–541 (2008) © 2008 British Lichen Society
doi:10.1017/S0024282908007652 Printed in the United Kingdom
Three new species of Caloplaca from India
Yogesh JOSHI, Dalip K. UPRETI and Suresh C. SATI
Abstract: Three new species of the lichen genus Caloplaca (Teloschistaceae) from India are described.
Caloplaca jatolensis belongs to the Triophthalmidium section, while C. pseudisteroides and C. subleptozona
belong to the Sideritis group.
Key words: lichen-forming fungi, plurilocular ascospores, Sideritis group, Teloschistaceae,
Triophthalmidium section, UV+ substances
Introduction
Many fewer species of Caloplaca have been
reported in India compared to countries in
Europe and America or even other countries
in Asia. Awasthi (1991) documented 35
species of Caloplaca from India whereas Poelt
& Hinteregger (1993) reported 111 species
of Caloplaca from the Himalayas, including
parts of China, Nepal, Pakistan and India.
Some recent publications (Joshi & Upreti
2006, 2007a, b, 2008) have substantially increased the number of lichenological papers
referring to Caloplaca in India, so that the
number of species has reached c. 70, but
there are still many as yet undescribed taxa.
The present paper describes three species,
C. jatolensis, C. pseudisteroides and C. subleptozona, as new to science.
Materials and Methods
The present study is based on collections in LWG (including LWU–AWAS). Morphological and anatomical
characters were examined using the methods described
by Joshi & Upreti (2006, 2007a, b, 2008). For characters
such as size of thallus, lobes, apothecium and thickness
of the hymenium, five measurements were recorded for
Y. Joshi and S. C. Sati: Department of Botany, Kumaun
University, D. S. B. Campus, Nainital-263002, India.
Email: yogesh36953@rediffmail.com
D. K. Upreti: Lichenology Laboratory, National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, P. B. No.
436, Lucknow-226001, India.
each specimen; 10 measurements per specimen were
recorded for ascospore and conidia dimensions. The
dimensions of epihymenium, hymenium and ascospores
are generally presented as (minimum value recorded–)
lowest specimen arithmetic mean observed—highest
specimen arithmetic mean observed (–maximum value
recorded). All measurements were made on material
mounted in water, but the paraphyses were studied after
replacing water with 25% KOH (Wetmore 1994). Calcareous and non-calcareous rocks were determined by
application of concentrated HCl. Secondary metabolites
were identified by TLC as described by Walker & James
(1980). The chromatograms were developed in solvent
systems A (toluene: 1, 4-dioxane: acetic acid) and B
(hexane: di-ethyl ether: formic acid). Terminology for
tissues generally follows that of Nash & Gries (2002).
The Species
Caloplaca jatolensis Y. Joshi & Upreti
sp. nov.
Caloplaca homologae similis; thallus corticola, griseus,
UV+ flavo-cremeus, discus vinaceus, K−, excipulum
lecanorinum, amphithecium et parathecium cum crystallis hyalinis, paraphyses anastomosantes, ascosporae
18–20 × 9–11 µm in medio parum constrictae.
Typus: India, Uttarakhand, Almora district, en route
to Sunderdhunga, between Jatoli and Dhuniya don, alt.
2700–3300 m, on bark of Quercus, 14 September 1995,
Upreti & Tandon 213500 (LWG—holotypus; CAL—
isotypus).
(Figs 1 & 2)
Thallus crustose, corticolous, (8·5–)10–
12(–13) µm thick, smooth, shiny, membranous, continuous to cracked areolate,
536
THE LICHENOLOGIST
Vol. 40
F. 1. Caloplaca jatolensis, habitus (holotype in LWG). Scale = 3 mm.
indeterminate, effuse, covering a large area,
whitish grey to pale grey. Cortex thin, paraplectenchymatous, made up of thin-walled
cells, algal layer continuous. Medulla loose,
prosoplectenchymatous, white. Prothallus
and hypothallus bluish black to black.
Apothecia numerous, scattered to ±
clumped, button-like, sessile to ± constricted
at the base, round, 0·2–1·1(–1·5) mm diam.,
disc brownish red (wine-coloured), plane to
convex, proper margin thin, 0·2–0·3 mm,
flush to slightly raised, concolorous or
slightly darker than disc, thalline margin
thin, 0·3–0·4 mm, entire, persistent, flat,
smooth to crenulate, concolorous with thallus. Epihymenium golden to golden-brown,
(10–)12–15(–25) µm high, with dense granular epipsamma; hymenium hyaline, (55–)80–
100(–120) µm high; hypothecium hyaline,
made up of isodiametric cells, oil droplets
present; parathecium of elongated cells and
with hyaline crystals that do not dissolve in
K; amphithecium with algal cells, outer surface with anthraquinone crystals. Paraphyses
thin, anastomosed to ± branched, end cells
clavate and with pale brown epipsamma. Asci
8-spored; ascospores trilocular [of C. homologa
type (Hafellner & Poelt 1979)], slightly
constricted in the centre, all locules of ±
equal size, (17·2–)18–20(–21) × (8·5–)9–
11(–12) µm.
Pycnidia not seen.
Chemistry. Thallus K+ pale yellow, C−,
Pd−, UV+ cream-yellow. Apothecial disc
K−, C−, Pd−. TLC: atranorin, grey spot at
Rf 3 and UV+ ice blue spot at Rf 7 after
charring in solvents A and B; both in thallus
and apothecial disc.
Etymology. The specific epithet is derived
from the type locality of the new species.
Ecology and distribution. The species is reported so far only from its type locality growing on the bark of Quercus between elevations
of 2700–3300 m in the sub-alpine regions of
the Himalayas.
Remarks. This species is mainly characterized by a grey, membranous thallus, lecanorine exciple, trilocular ascospores with a
constriction in their centre, and an amphithecium with anthraquinone and hyaline
crystals in the outer surface (Fig. 2). The
new taxon resembles Caloplaca homologa
(Nyl.) Hellb. in having similar, but smaller,
ascospores (C. homologa (21)–25 × (9–)10–
12(–13) µm). However, lack of anthraquinones and hyaline crystals in the outer
surface of the amphithecium of C. homologa
separates it from the new taxon. Caloplaca
brebissonii (Fée) R. Sant. ex Hafellner &
Poelt, another related species, differs in the
absence of hyaline crystals in the parathecium and wider ascospores with an oblong
rhomboidal middle locule. In its excipular
characters, the new taxon is similar to C.
subdecadens (Nyl.) Hafellner & Poelt, which
differs in having larger ascospores (26–30 ×
2008
New Indian Caloplaca species—Joshi et al.
537
F. 2. Caloplaca jatolensis. A, ascospores; B, exciple
(xxxxx anthraquinone crystals, rq hyaline crystals,
algal cells). Scales: A = 5 µm; B, not to scale.
14–17 µm) and also in having the middle
locule larger than the polar locules.
Caloplaca pseudisteroides Y. Joshi &
Upreti sp. nov.
Lecanorae pseudisterae similis sed ascosporis polarilocularibus, (8·5–)10–11(–11·5) × 5–6 (–6·5) µm, differt.
Typus: India, Madhya Pradesh, Anuppur district,
Amarkantak, 3 km from Jwaleshwar, alt. 603 m, on
bauxite rocks, 23 March 2004, Upreti, Nayaka & Satya
04-002851 (LWG—holotypus; CAL—isotypus).
(Fig.3)
F. 3. Caloplaca pseudisteroides, habitus (holotype in
LWG). Scale = 4 mm.
Thallus crustose, saxicolous, (22–)24–28
(–30) µm thick, continuous to crackedareolate to subsquamulose, 0·5–2 cm diam.,
whitish grey to greyish brown or greyish yellow; thalli often coalescing with each other to
538
THE LICHENOLOGIST
cover large areas. Areoles separated by deep
fissures, irregular, flat, ± imbricate, marginal
areoles effuse to subeffigurate, flabellate,
young lobules/squamules arising from the
older ones, pale yellow. Cortex moderately
thick, (13·7–)15–17(–19·5) µm thick, paraplectenchymatous, made up of thin-walled
cells, algal layer even and continuous. Medulla loose, prosoplectenchymatous, white.
Prothallus and hypothallus black.
Apothecia numerous, scattered, restricted
to central parts of the thallus, immersed to
sessile, round, 0·2–1 mm diam., disc light
brown to brownish black, plane, excipular
ring thin and soon evanescent, darker than
disc, thalline margin moderately thick, 0·2–
0·5 mm, flush, smooth to rarely flexuose,
concolorous with the thallus. Epihymenium
golden-brown to brown, (10–)12–15(–17)
µm high; hymenium hyaline, (40–)42–60
(–70) µm high; hypothecium hyaline and with
oil droplets; parathecium and hypothecium
made up of isodiametric cells; amphithecium
with algae. Paraphyses thin, ± furcate at
the tips, without swollen tips, firmly conglutinated with each other. Asci 8-spored,
ascospores polaribilocular, broadly ellipsoid,
(9·5–)10–11(–11·5) × 5–6(–6·5) µm, isthmus 5–7 µm.
Pycnidia numerous, 1–4 per areole, ostiole
brownish-black, conidia bacilliform, 2–3 ×
1 µm.
Vol. 40
Remarks. Caloplaca pseudisteroides is characterized by a vivid grey to greyish brown to
vivid yellow, areolate to subsquamulose thallus, pale brown to brownish-black apothecial
disc and firmly conglutinated paraphyses.
Superficially, it resembles Lecanora pseudistera, but is easily distinguished by its
polaribilocular ascospores and K+ purple
epihymenium. In this new taxon, the excipular ring, which according to Brodo (1991)
is an extension of the proper exciple,
approaches some species of the Caloplaca
sideritis group (Wetmore 1996) such as, C.
sideritis (Tuck.) Zahlbr. and C. balansana
(Müll. Arg.) Zahlbr. However, these species
differ from C. pseudisteroides in having a usually areolate thallus with a distinct, persistent, thick, dark excipular ring between the
disc and thalline margin. The colour of
apothecial disc resembles that of C. subsquamosa (Müll. Arg.) Zahlbr., which differs in
having a smaller, whitish-grey thallus, apothecia (0·2–0·3 mm diam.), larger ascospores
(12·5–14 × 7 µm) and lacks a prothallus,
excipular ring and pycnidia. Caloplaca peliophylla (Tuck.) Zahlbr., another related
species, differs in having a dark grey, stipitate
squamulose thallus, a parathecium made up
of oval paraplectenchymatous cells, paraphyses with 1–3 slightly enlarged cells and larger
ascospores (14–17 × 7–8·5 µm).
Chemistry. Thallus K− to K+ faint purple
at yellowish regions, C−, Pd−, UV−. Apothecial disc K+ purple, C−, Pd−. TLC: parietin in yellowish regions of thallus and
apothecial disc, atranorin in thallus.
Additional specimens examined. India: Madhya
Pradesh: Anuppur district, Amarkantak, 3 km away from
Jwaleshwar, alt. 603 m, on bauxite rock, 2004, Upreti,
Nayaka & Satya 04-002863/A, 04-002869/A (LWG);
Dudhara, Kapildhara area, south-west of Amarkantak,
alt. 606 m, on bauxite rock, 2004, Upreti, Nayaka &
Satya 04-002477 (LWG); near Soan muda, Mai ki
Bagia, south of Amarkantak, alt. 603 m, on bauxite rock,
2004, Upreti, Nayaka & Satya 04-002428/B (LWG).
Etymology. The specific epithet reflects the
similarity of the external morphology of the
new species to that of Lecanora pseudistera
Nyl.
Caloplaca subleptozona Y. Joshi &
Upreti sp. nov.
Ecology and distribution. The new taxon is
found growing with C. amarkantakana Y.
Joshi & Upreti, C. subsoluta (Nyl.) Zahlbr.
and species of the lichen genera Endocarpon,
Staurothele and Verrucaria on bauxite rocks
in central parts of India at an altitude of
c. 600 m.
C. leptozonae similis; thallus saxicola, cremeus vel pallide
griseus, UV+ luteus, discus rubiginosus vel anthracinus,
± flavopruinosus, margine rubiginosus vel ± anthracinus, excipulum biatorinum, amphithecium sine algis,
paraphyses ad apicem cum 2–5 cellulis tumidis, ascosporae 9·0–15·0 × 5·0–8·0 µm.
Typus: India, Uttarakhand, Nainital district, Jim
Corbett Tiger Reserve, near Mohan, on vertical side of
rock at road, 18 March 1999, D. K. Upreti L65006
(LWG—holotypus; CAL—isotypus).
2008
New Indian Caloplaca species—Joshi et al.
539
F. 4. Caloplaca subleptozona, (holotype in LWG). A, habitus; B, habitus showing apothecia with priuna (arrow).
Scales: A = 3 mm; B = 2 mm.
(Fig. 4)
Thallus crustose, saxicolous, 28–35 µm
thick, continuous and smooth, cracked
areolate to rimose-areolate, 1–5 cm diam.,
often coalescing with other thalli to cover
large areas, cream to yellowish white to
beige greyish. Cortex 7–10(–25) µm thick,
540
THE LICHENOLOGIST
paraplectenchymatous, of thin-walled cells,
algal layer continuous. Medulla loose, prosoplectenchymatous, white. Prothallus black.
Apothecia
numerous,
scattered
to
clumped, 1–4 per areole when young, solitary at maturity, initially immersed to
erumpent, constricted at the base (i.e.
button-like), biatorine, round to ± angular
due to pressure, 0·1–0·6 mm diam., disc
reddish brown to rusty brown in shady places
to brownish black in exposed situations,
plane to convex, glossy to matt, ± pruinose,
pruina yellow, proper margin persistent,
smooth, entire, flush to slightly raised, thin
to thick, ± covered by yellowish pruina,
paler or concolorous to the disc to ± black,
thalline margin absent. Epihymenium golden
to golden-brown, (7–)10–18(–25) µm high,
with fine granular epipsamma; hymenium
hyaline, (40–)60–75(–80) µm high; hypothecium hyaline to pale brown, paraplectenchymatous, oil droplets ± present;
parathecium paraplectenchymatous in peripheral section, whereas of radiating oval
to elongated cells in median section, outer
surface aeruginose pigmented; amphithecium
without algae, but algal cells present at least
near the base of the margin. Paraphyses
simple to slightly septate, thin, furcate to
sparingly branched at the tips with upper 2–5
cells swollen, oil paraphyses ± present. Asci
8-spored, ascospores polaribilocular, ellipsoid
to broadly ellipsoid, becoming citriform
in K, (4–)9–15 × (2·5–)5–8 µm, isthmus
3–4(–5) µm.
Pycnidia immersed, ostiole brownishblack, conidia bacilliform, 2–3 × 0·5–1 µm.
Chemistry. Thallus K+ yellow, C−, Pd−,
UV+ yellow. Apothecial disc K+ purple, C−,
Pd−. TLC: atranorin and UV+ yellow spots
developed after charring between Rf 2–7 in
solvent systems A and B.
Etymology. The specific epithet derives
from C. leptozona (Nyl. in Nyl. & Cromb.)
Zahlbr., which the new species very much
resembles in its external morphology.
Ecology and distribution. Currently, C. subleptozona is known from only four localities in
Vol. 40
India, the type locality and one other locality
in Uttarakhand, and additional localities
in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. The
species occurs on rocks in inland areas at
elevations from 1000–1800 m in subtropical
to temperate regions of India. It grows on
both vertical and horizontal faces of calcareous and non-calcareous rocks.
Remarks. The new taxon is affiliated to the
Caloplaca sideritis group (Wetmore 1996) as
anthraquinone pigments are present only in
the apothecia and are absent from the thallus.
It is generally characterized by UV+,
cracked-areolate to rimose-areolate, cream
to yellowish white to beige greyish, K+ yellow thallus surrounded by a black prothallus
and ± pruinose constricted apothecia. On
vertical rock surfaces, the apothecial discs are
reddish brown to rusty brown, without any
trace of black, whereas, on strongly exposed
horizontal surfaces, the apothecia are completely black. However, transition stages
were observed; that is, the exposed parts of
the apothecia are black, whereas, the shaded
parts are not. The blackening of the apothecial disc and margin, due to exposure, is
shared with a number of species [e.g. C.
agrata (Vain.) Zahlbr., C. concilians (Nyl.) H.
Olivier, C. conciliascens (Nyl.) Zahlbr., C.
exsecuta (Nyl.) Dalla Torre & Sarnth., C.
leptozona, C. litoricola Brodo, C. poliotera
(Nyl.) J. Steiner, C. subpoliotera Y. Joshi &
Upreti and C. tropica Y. Joshi & Upreti], but
all the species examined have a UV− thallus.
The new taxon is similar to C. leptozona in
having a rimose-areolate, vivid grey thallus
and a constricted apothecial disc with a black
proper margin. Caloplaca leptozona differs,
however, in several important features: a
UV− thallus, lack of pruina, paraphyses without swollen tips, smaller ascospores (10–11 ×
4–5·5 µm) and larger conidia (3·6 × 1·2–
1·5 µm). Caloplaca agrata, another similar
species known from Caribbean islands, differs in having a thin, areolate, UV− thallus
lacking a prothallus.
Additional specimens examined. India: Himachal
Pradesh: Kangra district, Macleodganj, alt. 1600–1800
m, on rock, 2001, D. K. Upreti & S. Nayaka 0175249
(LWG). Rajasthan: Mt. Abu, alt. 1200–1350 m, on
2008
New Indian Caloplaca species—Joshi et al.
rock, 1985, D. D. Awasthi & G. Awasthi 85.58 (LWGLWU). Uttarakhand: Pithoragarh district, Gori-Ganga
Catchment, Bangapani, alt. 1000–1300 m, on rock,
2002, V. Pant 02-000750 (LWG).
We thank Dr R. K. Tuli, Director, National Botanical
Research Institute, Lucknow, for providing laboratory
facilities and Dr J. Vondrák for his comments on the
paper.
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Accepted for publication 22 July 2008