Three newArthoniaceaefrom Chapada do Araripe, Ceará, NE Brazil

Abstract

AbstractThree new corticolousArthoniaceaeare described from the Chapada do Araripe, an isolated table mountain in the state of Ceará, in NE Brazil.Arthonia stipitata, lichenicolous on unidentified sorediate crusts, with red, tiny, stipitate apothecia, 3-septate ascospores, 10–12×3·0–3·5 µm.Stirtonia lucidawith rather small ascigerous areas, lichexanthone and zeorin in the thallus, globose asci, ascospores 8 per ascus, ellipsoid, 17–19×8–10 µm, with occasionally some longitudinal septa.Stirtonia ochraceawith rather small ochraceous ascigerous areas, thallus without secondary metabolites, ascospores 8 per ascus, (7–)9(–11)-septate, 47–55×14–20 µm. These species were found during a study aiming at an inventory of the lichen biodiversity of the Cerrado forests in the area, and were not found during earlier ecological studies in the Caatinga forests in the same area.Stirtonia lucidais the first species assigned to this genus which occasionally has some longitudinal septa in the ascospores. Such specimens might be confused withCryptotheciaspecies.