Buellia polyspora
Buellia polyspora (Willey) Vain., Acta Soc. Fauna Fl. Fenn. 7: 171 (1890), IF:380629
≡ Amandinea polyspora (Willey) E. Lay & P.F. May, in Sheard & May, Bryologist 100(2): 164 (1997)
≡ Buellia myriocarpa var. polyspora Willey, in Tuckerman, Syn. N. Amer. Lich. (Boston) 2: 97 (1888)
Facesoffungi number: FoF05805
Lichenized on dead stem. Thallus: crustose, greenish, granulose. Sexual morph: Apothecia 0.8–1 mm wide, arising singly or in small groups, sessile, erumpent from the substrate, turbinate, black when fresh. Hypothecium convex, disc and the margins are black when fresh. Hymenium hyaline, enclosed in a thick gelatinous matrix. Epithecium branched, slightly swollen and pigmented paraphyses apices form clearly distinguishing pseudo epithecium above the hymenium, greenish brown. Excipulum 36–45 µm (x = 32.3 µm, n = 10) outer cells are textura angularis to globulosa inner layer composed of hyaline loosely arranged hyphae. Paraphyses 1.5–2 µm wide (x = 1.7 µm, n = 20), numerous, filiform, slightly swollen at the apex and dark greenish brown pigmented that is dissolved in KOH. Asci 42–48 × 10–15 µm (x = 45.1 × 13.1 µm, n = 30) 16-spored, short sessile, cylindric–clavate, rounded at the apex. Ascospores 17–21 × 4–7 µm (x = 18 × 6 µm, n = 40), multiseriate, ellipsoid, one septate, immature ascospores are hyaline or light brown guttulate, matured spores are green or dark brown and guttulate, thin walled. Asexual morph: Undetermined.
Material examined – Thailand, Chiang Rai Province, Chiang sen, on dead stems, 24 June 2015, A.H. Ekanayaka, HD069, HD71 (MFLU 18-0685, MFLU 18-0687).
GenBank accessions – ITS: MFLU 18-0685-MK499345, MFLU 18-0687-MK499346; LSU: MFLU 18-0685-MK499357, MFLU 18-0687-MK499358
Notes – Buellia polyspora is characterized by its small spores and polysporous asci, which mostly have 16 spores and occasionally 8 or 32 spores (Bungartz et al. 2007). Our new strain from Thailand is morphologically similar to the description of Buellia polyspora by Bungartz et al. (2007). Moreover, Buellia polyspora phylogenetically and morphologically is close to B. schaereri. Bungartz et al. (2007) discussed the morphological similarities between B. schaereri and B. polyspora, but B. schaereri differs in having 8-spored asci as opposed to 16 in our collection (Bungartz et al. 2007). Joshi et al. (2010) and Bungartz et al. (2007) recorded presence of pycnidial conidiomata with filiform conidia within Buellia polyspora. However in our collection we did not observe the asexual morph.
Morphology of Buellia polyspora (MFLU 18-0685). a Substrate, b Ascomata on wood. c Cross section of an ascoma. d Close up of a vertical section of the ascoma at margin. e Asci and paraphyses. f Aseptate paraphyses. g-j Short sessile asci. k, n Ellipsoid ascospores. Scale bars: c = 500 µm, d = 200 µm, e-j = 40 µm, k-n = 10 µm.
References:
Ekanayaka AH, Hyde KD, Jones EBG, Zhao Q, Bulgakov TS 2019 – New and known discolichens from Asia and eastern Europe. Asian Journal of Mycology 2(1), 48–86, Doi 10.5943/ajom/2/1/2
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