Aspicilia mansourii Sohrabi
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Descriptions | Identification keys | Live mapping of lichenized and lichenicolous fungi in Iran | Universal mapping | Help information | Questions Aspicilia mansourii Sohrabi Life Habit: Lichenized Type:—IRAN: Golestan National Park, Mirzabaylou towards Almeh valley; 37°21’N, 56°12’E, 1300 m; May 2008, Sohrabi 15077 & Ghobad-Nejhad (holotype IRAN- MS015088; isotypes H-MS016188, GZU-MS016189, hb. Sohrabi-MS016192). Morphology Thallus terricolous, on soil or plant debris, forming subsquamulose to appressed sub- fruticose, attached by tiny rhizomorph-like extensions, forming small patches up to 3 –5( –8) cm wide, lobes discrete, more or less stringy, continuous, warty, rimose, to areolate- verruculose to irregularly developed on the substrate, central part subgranular to subsquamulose, mostly irregular, sometimes angular to rounded lobes, 0.3 –0.9( –1.3) mm in diam., prothallus absent. Surface with small cracks or depressions, smooth to roughened, white-pruinose, sometimes diffusely granulose, when dry, dull, light grey, when wet, whitish grey to dark grey, ashy grey. Cortex paraplectenchymatous, (10 –)20 –30( –35) µm thick, filled with granules and irregular globose to round cells 5 –8( –10) µm wide, uppermost part brown; cortex usually covered with a thick epinecral layer, (10 –)12 –17( – 22) µm thick, with crystals. Photobiont green, chlorococcoid, unicellular, cells 5 –16( –22) µm wide, distributed in regular to irregular layer, occasionally fragmented in small patches 30 –70 µm wide. Medulla ± loose to paraplectenchymatous, variable in thickness, lower parts somewhat interrupted by prosoplectenchymatous tissue, originated from the small rhizomorph-like extensions. Lower surface white to pale yellow, sometimes dark grey to ochraceous, without cortex, basally with 1 –3 ± isodiametric cells, some partly belonging to rhizomorph-like extensions. Rhizomorph-like extensions from the lower surface, short, up to 0.5 –1 mm long, hypha 5 –8( –10) µm thick, delicate, lacking algal cells, pale, white to yellowish, sometimes light brown, usually attached to plants debris, occasionally visible under the margins. Apothecia and pycnidia not known. Substrate & Ecology Aspicilia mansourii has been found on soil and dead plant debris, often on dead tufts of Poa bulbosa L. and other perennial grass. It grows on calcareous soil in open situation in the mountain areas with steppe-like habitat. It is so far known from Iran. Remarks Aspicilia is a relatively large genus, comprising ca. 200 species. The majority of the species are saxicolous, but several taxa are known to be terricolous, and a few lignicolous
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Descriptions | Identification keys | Live mapping of lichenized and lichenicolous fungi in Iran | Universal
mapping | Help information | Questions
Aspicilia mansourii Sohrabi
Life Habit: Lichenized
Type:—IRAN: Golestan National Park, Mirzabaylou towards Almeh valley; 37°21’N,56°12’E, 1300 m; May 2008, Sohrabi 15077 & Ghobad-Nejhad (holotype IRAN-MS015088; isotypes H-MS016188, GZU-MS016189, hb. Sohrabi-MS016192). Morphology
Thallus terricolous, on soil or plant debris, forming subsquamulose to appressed sub-fruticose, attached by tiny rhizomorph-like extensions, forming small patches up to 3 –5( –8)cm wide, lobes discrete, more or less stringy, continuous, warty, rimose, to areolate-verruculose to irregularly developed on the substrate, central part subgranular tosubsquamulose, mostly irregular, sometimes angular to rounded lobes, 0.3 –0.9( –1.3) mmin diam., prothallus absent. Surface with small cracks or depressions, smooth toroughened, white-pruinose, sometimes diffusely granulose, when dry, dull, light grey, when
wet, whitish grey to dark grey, ashy grey. Cortex paraplectenchymatous, (10 –)20 –30( –35)µm thick, filled with granules and irregular globose to round cells 5 –8( –10) µm wide,uppermost part brown; cortex usually covered with a thick epinecral layer, (10 –)12 –17( –22) µm thick, with crystals. Photobiont green, chlorococcoid, unicellular, cells 5 –16( –22)µm wide, distributed in regular to irregular layer, occasionally fragmented in small patches30 –70 µm wide. Medulla ± loose to paraplectenchymatous, variable in thickness, lowerparts somewhat interrupted by prosoplectenchymatous tissue, originated from the smallrhizomorph-like extensions. Lower surface white to pale yellow, sometimes dark grey toochraceous, without cortex, basally with 1 –3 ± isodiametric cells, some partly belonging torhizomorph-like extensions. Rhizomorph-like extensions from the lower surface, short, upto 0.5 –1 mm long, hypha 5 –8( –10) µm thick, delicate, lacking algal cells, pale, white to
yellowish, sometimes light brown, usually attached to plants debris, occasionally visibleunder the margins. Apothecia and pycnidia not known.
Substrate & Ecology Aspicilia mansourii has been found on soil and dead plant debris, often on dead tufts ofPoa bulbosa L. and other perennial grass. It grows on calcareous soil in open situation inthe mountain areas with steppe-like habitat. It is so far known from Iran. Remarks
Aspicilia is a relatively large genus, comprising ca. 200 species. The majority of thespecies are saxicolous, but several taxa are known to be terricolous, and a few lignicolous
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or corticolous species have also been described. Recently non-vagrant-terricolous specieswere revised (Sohrabi et al., 2010). Aspicilia mansourii is distinguished from the terricolous
North American species, A. californica Rosentreter, by its subsquamulose to appressedsubfruticose thallus, small and short lobes and tiny rhizomorph-like extensions, lackingblack lobe tips, as well as in negative reactions to K, C, and P in both medulla and cortex.It differs from A. filiformis Rosentreter, another North American terricolous species, inlacking black tips on the lobes and a different thallus morphology (Rosentreter, 1998).There is another poorly known species, A. reptans (Looman) Wetmore, which has acrustose, subsquamulose to appressed sub-fruticose thallus and its type is fertile, withbrown-black discs, growing directly on soil. However, rhizomorph-like extensions andchemistry are lacking in A. reptans. Aspicilia crespina V.J. Rico is a Mediterraneanspecies, known from Spain. It is also fertile, squamulose and attached with largerhizomorph-like extensions to the substrate and usually grows among mosses, onsiliceous rocks, and on soil and lacks chemistry. Aspicilia tibetica Sohrabi & Owe-Larss.was recently described from Tibet in China (Sohrabi et al., 2010). It has a well-developedfertile thallus and commonly grows on soil and plant debris in the very high mountains ofthe Tibetan Plateau. Aspicilia tibetica differs in certain morphological characters (e.g.apothecia very common), lacking secondary chemistry, and whitish colour thallus, and itsecological requirements. Additional information can be found at the Myco-Lich websitehttp://www.myco-lich.com (Sohrabi & Ghobad-Nejhad, 2010). Chemistry Secondary chemistry: aspicilian and unknown fatty acid detected in some thalli by TLC;thallus (medulla) K –, C –, P –, KC –, CK –, I – Distribution in Iran Golestan, East Azerbaijan
Distribution in the World
Iran References http://hundrednewlichens.lifedesks.org/pages/531
Selected Examined specimens
Additional specimens examined (paratypes):—IRAN: Golestan Prov., Golestan National Park, Mirzabayloutowards Almeh valley; Sohrabi 15078 & Ghobad-Nejhad (hb. Sohrabi). East Azerbaijan Prov., Jolfa district 1km S of Daran village, E of Hadishahr; Sohrabi et al. 10119, 10123, (hb. Sohrabi)
Suggested citation: Soharbi, M, (2011) The genus Aspicilia A. Massal. inIran. http://www.myco-lich.com/ Retrieved date D/M/Y.Description Provided by: Mohammad Sohrabi
