ITALIC 8.0

Ophioparma aff. rubricosa (Müll. Arg.) S. Ekman

Opera Bot., 127: 133, 1996. Basionym: Patellaria rubricosa Müll. Arg. - Hedwigia, 34: 142, 1895.

Synonyms:

Distribution: C - Sar (Zedda & Sipman 2001).

Description: Thallus crustose, episubstratic, rimose to weakly rimose-areolate in the thickest parts, <2 mm thick, forming large, 4-7 cm wide patches, the surface covered in 0.1-0.2 mm wide isidia-like granules, with distinctly capitate soralia, or rarely of dispersed to crowded, convex, verrucose or rugose, 0.2-0.3 mm wide areoles, whitish grey to pale yellowish green, the granules paler than the non-granular parts. Apothecia common, round to irregular in outline, adnate, up to 0.8 mm across, with a scarlet-red to deep rusty red, flat to convex disc and a thin, finally often excluded thalline margin. Proper exciple c. 90 µm thick, with small crystals visible under polarized light; epithecium deep red, encrusted with crystals, K+ blue-violet; hymenium colourless to reddish in upper part, 40-50 µm high; hypothecium colourless, but appearing grey by the presence of small crystals. Asci 8-spored, clavate, with a shallow, uniformly K/I + blue apical dome, lacking a distinct ocular chamber or apical cushion, with spirally arranged spores, Ophioparma-type. Ascospores 3(-4)-septate, hyaline, narrowly fusiform, straight or curved, 25-38 x 3-3.5 µm. Pycnidia black, on or among the areoles, with a blue-black, K- wall. Conidia siimple, hyaline, bacilliform, 5-8 x 0.7-1 µm. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: thallus K-, C-, KC+ pale yellow, P-. Chemistry: Secondary metabolites: thallus with usnic, divaricatic and nordivaricatic acids, plus low concentrations of atranorin; apothecia with haemoventosin.

Note: the record from Sardinia (samples collected on an old specimen of Juniperus oxycedrus), is the first and only one from Europe of this western North American epiphytic species. However, the Sardinian samples, which are sorediate and have a lower hymenium, could either belong to a still undescribed taxon, or be a sorediate form with immature spores of the recently-described O. junipericola, known from Spain, whose ecology is very similar. Work is in progress to clarify the status of the Sardinian populations by H. Sipman and L. Zedda.

Growth form: Crustose

Substrata: bark

Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia

Reproductive strategy: mainly asexual, by soredia, or soredia-like structures (e.g. blastidia)

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: absent

Subalpine belt: absent

Oromediterranean belt: absent

Montane belt: extremely rare

Submediterranean belt: absent

Padanian area: absent

Humid submediterranean belt: absent

Humid mediterranean belt: absent

Dry mediterranean belt: absent

pH of the substrata:

1

2

3

4

5

(info)

Solar irradiation:

1

2

3

4

5

(info)

Aridity:

1

2

3

4

5

(info)

Eutrophication:

1

2

3

4

5

(info)

Poleotolerance:

0

1

2

3

(info)

Altitudinal distribution:

1

2

3

4

5

6

(info)

Predictive model

Index Fungorum GBIF

Harrie Sipman

Italy, Sardinia, Campu Su Disterru (Supramonte di Orgosolo, Central-east Sardinia), 940 m
B 60 0109592 (Sipman & Zedda 40038)

Harrie Sipman

Italy, Sardinia, Campu Su Disterru (Supramonte di Orgosolo, Central-east Sardinia), 940 m
B 60 0109592 (Sipman & Zedda 40038)