ITALIC 8.0

Acarospora ubayensis Cl. Roux & M. Bertrand

in Roux & al., Bull. Soc. linn. Provence, 70, 1: 164, 2019.

Synonyms:

Distribution:

Description: Thallus crustose, episubstratic, medium to dark brown, areolate-subsquamulose, the central areoles more or less flat, contiguous, constricted at base, with a darker margin, 0.36-1.25 x 0.25 x 1 mm, 0.5-2.4 mm thick, the peripheral ones slightly elongated. Upper cortex 40-65 µm thick, paraplectenchymatous, filled with crystals, sometimes with an up to 15 µm thick epinecral layer; algal layer 110-130 µm thick, interrupted by hyphal strands; medulla thick, white, the hyphae encrusted with crystals; lower cortex dark, prosoplectenchymatous. Apothecia aspicilioid, immersed in the areoles, round to distinctly elongate, 0.1-0.85 x 0.05-0.55 mm, with a concave to flat, brown to brown-black disc and a very thin, sometimes poorly evident thalline margin. Proper exciple of anticlinally arranged hyphae, 35-40 µm thick in upper part, I+ blue; epithecium brown, without crystals, up to 25 µm high; hymenium colourless, 70-105 µm high, hemiamyloid; paraphyses richly branched and anastomosing, 1.5-2(-2.5) µm thick at base, the apical cells to 3.5 µm wide; subhymenium 11-35 µm high, I+ blue-green; hypothecium colourless, up to 23 µm high, prosoplectenchymatous, I+ blue. Asci 100-150-spored, clavate. Ascospores 1-celled, hyaline, broadly ellipsoid, 5-7.5 x 2.5-4 µm. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: cortex K-, C+ red, KC+ red, P-, UV-. Chemistry: cortex with gyrophoric acid.

Note: a recently-described species, hitherto known only from the type locality in the French Alps, growing on serpentine in the subalpine belt, but perhaps more widespread. To be looked for in the Italian Alps.

Growth form: Crustose

Substrata: rocks

Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia

Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual

pH of the substrata:

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Solar irradiation:

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Eutrophication:

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Poleotolerance:

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Altitudinal distribution:

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Predictive model

Courtesy S. Poumarat - Source: http://mycologie.catalogne.free.fr/lichenPhoto2010/Acarospora_ubayensis_9.jpg

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, isotype