Caloplaca himalayana

Caloplaca himalayana
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Lecanoromycetes
Order:	Teloschistales
Family:	Teloschistaceae
Genus:	Caloplaca
Species:	C. himalayana
Binomial name
	Caloplaca himalayana; Y.Joshi & Upreti (2009)

Last updated April 26, 2024

Taxonomy

This species was first named and formally described by the lichenologists Yogesh Joshi and Dalip Kumar Upreti. The type specimen was collected in May 2002 from Rohru, Sungri, in the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh, India, at an elevation of 2,600 m (8,500 ft) meters, where it was found growing on dead wood.^[2]

Description

Caloplaca himalayana features a crust-like (crustose), thin, and continuous growth, which forms an irregular shape with a diameter ranging from 0.4 to 3 cm and a thickness of about 25–30 μm. The lichen's colour is predominantly yellowish. The outer layer (cortex) of the lichen is thin and consists of thin-walled cells arranged in a compact manner ( paraplectenchymatous ). Its algal layer is even and continuous. The medulla, which is the innermost layer, is white and made of loosely arranged, translucent (hyaline) fungal hyphae, organised in a less compact manner ( prosoplectenchymatous ). The lichen lacks a bordering growth (prothallus).^[2]

The reproductive structures (apothecia) are biatorine in form, typically numerous, and can be scattered or somewhat clustered. They are sessile , meaning they are directly attached without a stalk, and vary from round to angular in shape due to compression. Their size ranges from 0.2 to 1.2 mm in diameter. The apothecia are characterised by a ferruginous red to reddish-brown, glossy disc , surrounded by a smooth, entire , and thin proper margin that is flush with the disc and either the same colour or paler. The lichen lacks a thalline margin . Microscopically, the epihymenium (outermost layer of the apothecium) is golden brown, while the hymenium (spore-producing layer) and hypothecium (layer below the hymenium) are hyaline. The parathecium (layer surrounding the apothecium) consists of elongated cells, and the amphithecium (outer layer of the apothecium) is similar in structure but lacks algae or has them restricted at the base.^[2]

The lichen's spores number eight per ascus. They are polaribilocular (divided into two components, or locules , separated by a central septum with a perforation, or isthmus ), and range in shape from ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid to ovoid, measuring 9–11 by 4–7 μm. The connecting isthmus between the spore compartments is 2–4 μm.^[2]

Chemistry

Chemical spot tests reveal that the thallus, apothecial disc, and epihymenium turn purple when treated with a solution of potassium hydroxide (K+), and do not react to calcium hypochlorite (C−) or paraphenylenediamine (Pd−). The medulla shows no reaction to these tests (K−, C−, Pd−). Thin-layer chromatography identifies the presence of 7-chloroemodin (a major secondary metabolite) and traces of parietinic acid.^[2]

Similar species

Caloplaca himalayana is distinct for its thin, continuous yellowish thallus and ferruginous coloured apothecia. It lacks both a thalline margin and algae in the amphithecium and typically inhabits dead wood. This species could be mistaken for Caloplaca herbidella which differs by being isidiate (having outgrowths). Another species, Opeltia flavorubescens , with deep reddish-brown to brown apothecia, can be challenging to distinguish from C. himalayana but can be distinguished by its thalline margin, presence of algae in the amphithecium, and larger spores.^[2]

Several other species share similar habitats and apothecial disc colours but can be differentiated from C. himalayana. These include Blastenia ammiospila , Blastenia ferruginea , Blastenia subathallina , Caloplaca caesiorufella , C. ferrugineofusca , C. jenisejensis , C. spitsbergensis , all of which have endoxylic (growing in wood), poorly to well-developed grey thalli and larger spores. Marchantiana asserigena differs in its grey thallus and small lecanorine to zeorine apothecia, while Opeltia juniperina is distinguished by its squamulose thalli and pale yellow-margined concave apothecia.^[2]

Habitat and distribution

Caloplaca himalayana has been found in a few locations within Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in India. This species typically grows on dead wood at elevations between 2,150 and 2,800 m (7,050 and 9,190 ft) in the temperate regions of the Western Himalayas.^[2] It was reported from the Haat Kali sacred grove, Central Himalaya, Uttarakhand, in 2010.^[3] The localities where Caloplaca himalayana is found share similar lichen compositions, typically including species from the genera Lecanora and Rinodina , as well as a dense coverage of cyanobacterial species.^[2]

Related Research Articles

Buellia is a genus of mostly lichen-forming fungi in the family Caliciaceae. The fungi are usually part of a crustose lichen. In this case, the lichen species is given the same name as the fungus. But members may also grow as parasites on lichens (lichenicolous). The algae in the lichen is always a member of the genus Trebouxia.

Leptogium compactum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Collemataceae. Found in northwestern North America, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by Daphne Stone, Frances Anderson, and James Hinds. It is distinguished from related Leptogium species by the tightly packed hyphae in the medulla; this characteristic internal anatomy is alluded to in the species epithet compactum.

Pisutiella is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains five species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens that are found in a variety of environments in the Northern Hemisphere.

Upretia is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It has three species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens. Upretia is characterised by its small ascospores and narrow, rod-shaped conidia. The distribution of the genus ranges from mid-altitude rocky terrains in India to both arid and higher altitudinal environments in China.

Caloplaca filsonii is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It has a crust-like thallus that is uneven and warty around the edges and more distinctly wart-like in the centre, coloured in shades of grey and brownish-grey near its reproductive structures (apothecia), but lacking a developed prothallus.

Elixjohnia bermaguiana is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in Australia. The lichen is characterised by its varying areoles, which are thin to moderately thick, flat to slightly convex, and range from bright yellow to whitish in colour, sometimes with a greenish-yellow hue. Its apothecia are small, with a distinct orange margin and a raised brownish-orange or yellowish-brown disc.

Sirenophila maccarthyi is a species of corticolous/lignicolous, crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It has a thallus that is whitish or greyish, often inconspicuous and not always continuous, which can appear darker or dirty grey near its numerous, clustered apothecia. Sirenophila maccarthyi is distributed across regions including Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and New Zealand, in both coastal and inland habitats. It typically grows on the bark and dead wood of a wide range of trees and shrubs such as Acacia sophorae, Araucaria excelsa, and various Eucalyptus species.

Fauriea trassii is a lichen species in the family Teloschistaceae, described in 2011. It is primarily found in the Far East of Russia, particularly in the Primorsky Krai region.

Megalospora austropacifica is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Megalosporaceae. It is found on the islands of Taveuni and Viti Levu in Fiji. It has a yellowish grey to whitish grey, glossy thallus that is thick and may appear slightly wrinkled or smooth, often with irregular cracks and small papillae containing conidiomata, but lacking isidia and soredia. Its apothecia are circular, up to 4.5 mm in diameter, with the disc evolving from concave to slightly convex and coloured from orange-brown to red-brown, surrounded by a thick, prominent margin.

Eilifdahlia sergeyana is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is endemic to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. The lichen thallus has an uneven and scaly texture, forming patches up to 40 mm wide in dull greenish-grey or brownish-grey. Its fruiting bodies (apothecia) are orange to yellow, with a biatorine structure, and range from 0.5 to 1 mm wide. These apothecia have a matte surface and a cup-shaped margin containing golden-yellow crystals. The paraphyses within are slender and branched, and the asci contain ellipsoid spores.

Caloplaca nothocitrina is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Its thallus is up to 8 mm in diameter and deep yellow in colour. It comprises small dispersed areoles, occasional concave soralia, and circular apothecia with a bright yellow margin and a dull dark yellowish or brownish disc.

Amandinea pilbarensis is a little-known species of crustose lichen in the family Physciaceae, First described in 2020, it is found in Australia. It is similar to Amandinea polyxanthonica, but can be distinguished by its smaller ascospores and the presence of calcium oxalate and thiophanic acid in the medulla.

Caloplaca kiewkaensis is a species of bark- and wood-dwelling crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Described as a new species in 2011, this lichen is found in the Far East region of Russia, specifically within Primorsky Krai.

Caloplaca akbarica, a species of lichen saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen described in 2002. Found in Tajikistan, it has a rosette-shaped, lobate thallus, and apothecia that are distinctly pruinose. It was formally described as a new species in 2002 by the lichenologists Imomnazar Kudratov and Oleksandr Khodosovtsev.

Flavoplaca oasis is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is widely distributed across Europe, and has been reported in Western Asia, China, and North Africa.

Elixjohnia jackelixii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in Australia and New Zealand. The lichen is characterised by its unique multilayered appearance with outer sterile rings that are brownish or greenish-yellow and inner areoles that are whitish, yellowish, or greyish, often cracked to reveal the medulla underneath. Its fruiting bodies, or apothecia, are typically attached directly to the thallus and vary in colour and shape.

Caloplaca lecanorocarpa is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Found in Brazil, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by the lichenologists André Aptroot and Marcela Cáceres. It is named for its overall appearance to lichens in the Lecanora subfusca species complex.

Marchantiana occidentalis is a species of corticolous and saxicolous, crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in Western Australia, usually as an inhabitant of dry twigs, bark, or wood of various plant species, but occasionally on granite rock outcrops. It forms a well-developed thallus, shiny and composed of tiny dark greenish to brown areoles, with sizes typically ranging from 5–15 mm, though larger aggregations are possible. It features numerous rounded apothecia scattered across its surface, varying in form and colour, with a distinct margin and disc.

Caloplaca lecapustulata is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Found in Brazil, it was described as a new species in 2016.

Fominiella is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Teloschistaceae. It contains two species with a thin, film like and inconspicuous thallus.

References

↑ "Caloplaca himalayana Y. Joshi & Upreti". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Joshi, Yogesh; Upreti, Dalip K.; Sati, Suresh C. (2009). "Caloplaca himalayana, a new epiphytic lichen from the Indian subcontinent". The Lichenologist. 41 (3): 249–255. doi:10.1017/S0024282909008214.
↑ Singh, Harsh; Husain, Tariq; Agnihotri, Priyanka (2010). "Haat Kali sacred grove, Central Himalaya, Uttarakhand". Current Science. 98 (3): 290.

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[CoL-1] "Caloplaca himalayana Y. Joshi & Upreti". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 15 January 2023.

[Joshi_et_al._2009-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Joshi, Yogesh; Upreti, Dalip K.; Sati, Suresh C. (2009). "Caloplaca himalayana, a new epiphytic lichen from the Indian subcontinent". The Lichenologist. 41 (3): 249–255. doi:10.1017/S0024282909008214.

[Singh_et_al._2010-3] Singh, Harsh; Husain, Tariq; Agnihotri, Priyanka (2010). "Haat Kali sacred grove, Central Himalaya, Uttarakhand". Current Science. 98 (3): 290.

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