Andreas Frisch

Crypthonia, a new genus of byssoid Arthoniaceae (lichenised Ascomycota)

Crypthonia with 11 species is described as belonging to the Arthoniaceae. The new genus is characterised by (1) white to pale carneous, maculiform ascomata lacking a distinct exciple, (2) a weakly gelatinised, hydrophobic hymenium of paraphysoids, (3) a discontinuous layer of branched ascogenous hyphae in the hypothecium, (4) small, clavate to broadly clavate asci of the Arthonia-type lacking a hemiamyloid ring structure in the tholus, (5) eight small, hyaline, 1–3-septate, thin-walled ascospores per ascus, (6) loosely attached thalli with a byssoid, coloured hypothallus, and (7) a chemistry of mainly β-orcinol depsidones and tridepsides including psoromic, norstictic, and gyrophoric acids. Rugulosin occurs in C. bella and C. citrina. Crypthonia athertoniensis Frisch & G. Thor, C. bella Frisch & G. Thor, C. brevispora Frisch & G. Thor, C. citrina Frisch & G. Thor, C. olivacea Frisch & G. Thor, C. palaeotropica Frisch & G. Thor, and C. vandenboomii Frisch & G. Thor are described. C. albida (Fée) Frisch & G. Thor, C. biseptata (Aptroot & Wolseley) Frisch & G. Thor, C. mycelioides (Vain.) Frisch & G. Thor, and C. polillensis (Vain.) Frisch & G. Thor are new combinations. The delimitation from similar genera and the position within the Arthoniaceae is discussed.

A large-scale phylogenetic revision of Roccellaceae (Arthoniales) reveals eight new genera

A two-locus phylogenetic hypothesis of the family Roccellaceae is presented based on data from the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (nucLSU) and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2). This analysis includes 341 sequences (166 newly generated) and 180 specimens representing about 114 species. The genera Lecanactis, Roccellina, Schismatomma and Sigridea were found to be paraphyletic/polyphyletic. In order to make these groups monophyletic, the new genera Crocellina, Diromma, Gyrographa, Gyronactis, Ocellomma, Pseudoschismatomma, Psoronactis and Vigneronia are described. The genus Sagenidium is placed in synonymy with Lecanactis. The new species Enterographa incognita, Gyronactis asiatica and Lecanactis submollis are described. Several species of Opegrapha are transferred to the Roccellaceae. Sorediate morphs are recorded for the first time in the genus Syncesia.

Four new Arthoniomycetes from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda - supported by molecular data

Arthonia physcidiicola Frisch & G.Thor, Chiodecton sorediatum G.Thor & Frisch, Herpothallon kigeziense Frisch & G.Thor and Reichlingia syncesioides Frisch & G.Thor are described as new to science. All species have been collected in the montane rainforests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south western Uganda. The earlier monotypic genus Reichlingia with one anamorphic species is emended to include three fertile species and is newly reported to Africa. The combinations Reichlingia virginea (Mull.Arg.) Frisch for Arthothelium virgineum Mull. Arg. from the Usambara Mts. in north eastern Tanzania, and Reichlingia zwackhii (Sandst.) Frisch & G.Thor for the European Arthonia zwackhii Sandst. are made. A phylogenetic tree based on Bayesian and ML analyses of combined mtSSU, nLSU and RPB2 data showing the position of the new species in Arthoniomycetes is presented.

Lichenicolous Fungi from Japan and Korea: New Species, New Records and a First Synopsis for Japan

Abstract: Zhurbenko, M. P., Frisch, A., Ohmura, Y. & Thor, G. 2015. Lichenicolous fungi from Japan and Korea: new species, new records and a first synopsis for Japan. — Herzogia 28: 762–789. Sixty six species of lichenicolous fungi are reported from Japan and eight species from South Korea. The new genus Caeruleoconidia is introduced, and four species, Caeruleoconidia ochrolechiae, Diplolaeviopsis japonica, Perigrapha lobariae and Skyttea ochrolechiae, are described as new to science. The new combination Lichenosticta lecanorae is introduced and a neotype designated for this taxon. Buelliella cf. inops, Cercidospora stenotropae, Cladophialophora parmeliae, Endococcus cf. brachysporus, Lichenosticta lecanorae, Micarea inquinans, Minutoexcipula cf. mariana, Protounguicularia nephromatis, Polycoccum hymeniicola, Stigmidium alectoriae and Tephromela campestricola are new to Asia, another 18 species are second reports for Asia. Sixty-one species are new to Japan and eight species new to South Korea. Nephroma is a new host genus for Hainesia aeruginascens and Vulpicida for Muellerella lichenicola. A first synopsis of the lichenicolous fungi of Japan including 95 species is presented, which presumably covers less than 30 % of the total diversity of lichenicolous fungi in that country.

A Pine Is a Pine and a Spruce Is a Spruce – The Effect of Tree Species and Stand Age on Epiphytic Lichen Communities

With an increasing demand for forest-based products, there is a growing interest in introducing fast-growing non-native tree species in forest management. Such introductions often have unknown consequences for native forest biodiversity. In this study, we examine epiphytic lichen species richness and species composition on the trunks of non-native Pinus contorta and compare these to the native Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies in managed boreal forests in northern Sweden across a chronosequence of age classes. Overall, we recorded a total of 66,209 lichen occurrences belonging to 57 species in the 96 studied forest stands. We found no difference in species richness of lichens between stands of P. contorta and P. sylvestris, but stands of P. abies had higher total species richness. However, species richness of lichens in stands of P. abies decreased with increasing stand age, while no such age effect was detected for P. contorta and P. sylvestris. Lichen species composition progressively diverged with increasing stand age, and in 30-year-old stands all three tree species showed species-specific assemblages. Epiphytic lichen assemblages in stands of 30-year-old P. contorta were influenced by greater basal area, canopy closure, and average diameter at breast height, P. abies stands by higher branch density and canopy closure, and stands of P. sylvestris by greater bark crevice depth. Differences in lichen species richness and composition were mainly explained by canopy closure and habitat availability, and the greater canopy closure in mature P. abies stands promoted the colonization and growth of calicioid lichen species. Our results indicate that the non-native P. contorta have similar species richness as the native P. sylvestris. The main difference in lichen species richness and composition is between P. abies and Pinus spp. in managed forests of boreal Sweden.

Herpothallon rubroechinatum (Arthoniaceae), a new species from tropical and subtropical America

Abstract Herpothallon rubroechinatum is described from the U.S.A. (Florida), Costa Rica and Peru. The new species is characterised by scattered red anthraquinone crystals being attached to hyphae projecting from the thallus, the globose to cylindrical pseudoisidia, a closely adnate thallus, and psoromic acid as the main lichen compound; pycnidia are common at the tips of the pseudoisidia. The medulla of the new species shows a patchily distributed amyloid reaction. Contrary to previous reports, the amyloidity of the medulla was observed in all Herpothallon species re-investigated during this study. H. rubroechinatum is compared to the two other red pigmented species that contain psoromic acid, H. australasicum that lacks pigment crystals on the pseudoisidia, and H. globosum that has a loosely attached thallus and a well developed red hypothallus.

Additions to the Calicioid Flora of Japan and Korea, with the Descriptions of Two New Species

Two new species of calicioid fungi are described, Phaeocalicium triseptatum Tibell and Sphinctrina intermedia Tibell. While P. triseptatum is only known from Hokkaido, Japan, S. intermedia is known from Hokkaido and Korea. Sphinctrina leucopoda as reported from Korea in the literature is misidentified S. intermedia. The genus Microcalicium is reported as new to Japan with one species, M. arenarium. Phaeocalicium flabelliforme is reported as new to Asia (Japan). Chaenothecopsis savonica is reported as new to Japan and Sphinctrina tubaeformis as new to Hokkaido.

Arthonia parietinaria – A common but frequently misunderstood lichenicolous fungus on species of the Xanthoria parietina-group

Arthonia parietinaria is described as new to science. Host of the type and at the same time the only confirmed host species is the foliose macrolichen Xanthoria parietina. Sequence data of nucLSU rRNA genes reveal a close relationship to Arthonia molendoi. A. parietinaria is recorded for many countries in Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa.

Herpothallon inopinatum (Arthoniaceae), a New Lichen Species from Mexico

Herpothallon inopinatum Frisch & G. Thor sp. nova (Arthoniaceae) is described from Chiapas, Mexico. It is the second species of Herpothallon known with mature ascospores besides H. fertile. It differs from H. fertile in smaller asci immersed in the thallus instead of strongly protruding barrel-shaped thallus warts, smaller bean-shaped ascospores and a thallus chemistry of confluentic and chiodectonic acids. Herpothallon inopinatum most closely resembles H. pustulatum, but differs in the absence of pustules. The closely related H. rubrocinctum has distinct bright-red pseudoisidia and a bright-red pigmentation of pro- and hypothallus, while H. inopinatum lacks pseudoisidia and has a pro- and hypothallus white mottled pale yellow to orange to purplish brown. A revised key to all 34 currently accepted species in Herpothallon is provided.