Biology:Nipponoparmelia laevior

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Short description: Species of lichen-forming fungus

Nipponoparmelia laevior
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Parmeliaceae
Genus: Nipponoparmelia
Species:
N. laevior
Binomial name
Nipponoparmelia laevior
(Nyl.) K.H.Moon, Y.Ohmura & Kashiw. (2010)
Synonyms[1]

Nipponoparmelia laevior is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.[2] Originally described from Japan in 1890 as Parmelia laevior, this lichen was transferred to the newly established genus Nipponoparmelia in 2010 following molecular studies that revealed it belonged to a distinct East Asian evolutionary lineage, and it now serves as the type species for this genus. The species has been recorded from Japan, Taiwan, China, and across the southern Russian Far East, where it grows as an epiphyte on the bark of conifer and broad-leaved trees in mixed forests. It forms pale greenish to brownish-grey leaf-like growths 6–15 cm across and is distinguished by its shiny, flat upper surface with tiny point-like pores arranged along the [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] edges, and by its frequent production of urn-shaped fruiting bodies that open at maturity to reveal a radially split [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]].

Taxonomy

It was first described as a new species in 1890 by William Nylander, who named it Parmelia laevior. In the protologue he compared it with a smooth-thallus form he had earlier called var. laevis under Parmelia omphalodes var. panniformis, and also with P. divaricata; he cautioned against confusion with P. sublaevigata and recorded it from bark at Ushigome in Japan.[3] In 2010, molecular phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences demonstrated that Parmelia laevior and several morphologically similar East Asian species did not belong within Parmelia in the strict sense. Instead, they formed a distinct, well-supported lineage characterised by a grey to brownish thallus with tiny [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] (point-like) pseudocyphellae confined to lobe margins, simple or sparsely branched rhizines, and production of atranorin. These features justified their placement in the genus Nipponoparmelia, for which N. laevior was selected as the type species.[4]

Description

Nipponoparmelia laevior forms a foliose (leafy) thallus that sits loosely attached ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]) on bark and is firm, pale greenish to brownish mineral grey. It typically spans 6–15 cm across. The [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] are narrow and mostly parallel-sided (sublinear), crowded edge-to-edge, 1.5–4 mm wide, and may show small side lobes. The upper surface is shiny and flat to faintly wrinkled, becoming sparsely cross-cracked with age. Tiny aeration pores (pseudocyphellae) are arranged along the sides of the lobe edges; they are round to slightly elongated and about 0.2 mm long. The underside is black and moderately covered with rhizines, which are fine, root-like holdfasts. These structures are simple to forked, sometimes sparsely [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] at maturity, and 1–2 mm long. Small black pycnidia are common; they release straight to slightly curved cylindrical conidia 6–8 μm long. Fruiting bodies (apothecia) are frequent, usually on a short stalk and urn-shaped when young ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]], [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]); they open at maturity to a radially split [[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]] 5–10 mm across. The thallus-derived rim ([[Glossary of lichen terms#{{biology:{1}}}|{{Biology:{1}}}]]) bears scattered wart-like pseudocyphellae. The spore-bearing layer (hymenium) is 60–65 μm tall; ascospores are 8–9 × 14–16 μm with an outer wall about 1 μm thick.[5] The cortex contains atranorin and chloroatranorin; spot tests are K+ (yellow), C–, KC–, and P–. The medulla contains salazinic acid with traces of consalazinic acid; spot tests are K+ (bright yellow → red), P+ (strong yellow), C–, and KC–.[6]

Nipponoparmelia laevior differs from N. perplicata in its elongate, slightly concave lobes and clear marginal pseudocyphellae (vs short lobes with downward-rolled margins and pseudocyphellae mainly visible on the lobe undersides).[6]

Habitat and distribution

Nipponoparmelia laevior is an epiphyte on conifer and broadleaved bark in conifer–broadleaf, broadleaf and mixed forests.[6] It has been recorded from Japan, Taiwan, and China.[5] In Russia it is widespread but local in the southern Russian Far East (Amur Oblast, Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Khabarovsk Krai, Primorsky Krai, and Sakhalin Region).[6]

References

  1. "GSD Species Synonymy. Current Name: Nipponoparmelia laevior (Nyl.) K.H. Moon, Y. Ohmura & Kashiw., in Crespo et al., Taxon 59(6): 1749 (2010)". Species Fungorum. https://www.speciesfungorum.org/GSD/GSDspecies.asp?RecordID=516760. 
  2. "Nipponoparmelia laevior (Nyl.) K.H. Moon, Y. Ohmura & Kashiw.". Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/6RZJ4. 
  3. Nylander, W. (1890) (in la). Lichenes Japoniae. Accedunt Observationibus Lichenes Insulae Labuan. Paris: P. Schmidt. p. 28. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k96798r/f30.item. 
  4. Crespo, Ana; Kauff, Frank; Divakar, Pradeep K.; del Prado, Ruth; Pérez-Ortega, Sergio; de Paz, Guillermo Amo et al. (2010). "Phylogenetic generic classification of parmelioid lichens (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota) based on molecular, morphological and chemical evidence". Taxon 59 (6): 1735–1753. doi:10.1002/tax.596008. Bibcode2010Taxon..59.1735C. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 Hale, Mason E. (1987). A Monograph of the Lichen Genus Parmelia Acharius sensu stricto (Ascomycotina: Parmeliaceae). Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. 66. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 28. https://archive.org/details/monographoflich661987hale/page/n1/mode/2up. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Tchabanenko, S.I. (2018). "A review of the genus Nipponoparmelia (Parmeliaceae) in Russia" (in ru). Novosti Sistematiki Nizshikh Rastenii 52 (2): 435–444. doi:10.31111/nsnr/2018.52.2.435. 

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