Studies on Micarea in Australasia II. A synopsis of the genus in Tasmania, with the description of ten new species

Abstract

AbstractThirty-five species of Micarea are recorded for Tasmania. Ten are described as new to science: M. ceracea Coppins & Kantvilas (also known from Victoria and New South Wales), characterized by a thallus containing perlatolic and didymic acids, pallid apothecia and 3(–4)-septate ascospores, 10–21 × 3·5–6 µm; M. cinereopallida Coppins & Kantvilas (also known from Chile), with a granular to coralloid, goniocyst-like thallus containing superlatolic acid, pallid to piebald apothecia and (0–)1-septate ascospores, 8–15 × 2·5–5 µm; M. micromelaena Kantvilas & Coppins, similar to the widespread M. melaena but with markedly smaller, 0–1-septate ascospores, 8–12·5 × 2·5–4 µm; M. oreina Kantvilas & Coppins, characterized by a thallus of globose areoles containing gyrophoric acid, black, subglobose apothecia, and 1-septate ascospores, 11–16·5 × 4·5–6·5 µm; M. pallida Coppins & Kantvilas, similar to M. ceracea but distinguished by the presence of porphyrilic acid and relatively small, 3-septate ascospores, 9·5–15 × 2·5–4 µm; M. prasinastra Coppins & Kantvilas (also known from New Zealand), a member of the M. prasina group with a finely granular-sorediose thallus containing gyrophoric acid, unpigmented apothecia and (0–)1-septate ascospores, 7–11·5 × 1·8–3·5 µm; M. rubiginosa Coppins & Kantvilas (also known from Chile), likewise allied to M. prasina but with apothecia containing Rubella-orange pigment and ascospores 0–1-septate, 9·5–17 × 3·5–5·5 µm; M. sandyana Kantvilas, related to M. ternaria (Nyl.) Vĕzda but differing by smaller ascospores, 7–13·5 × 3·5–6 µm; M. saxicola Coppins & Kantvilas, characterized by a relatively thick, grey-brown, areolate thallus, convex, black apothecia and 0(–1)-septate ascospores, 7–18 × 4·5–7 µm; and M. tubaeformis Coppins & Kantvilas, related to M. flagellispora and with filiform ascospores, 45–100 × 1–2 µm, but differing by containing 2′-O-methylperlatolic acid and having funnel-shaped pycnidia. Ten species of Micarea are reported for Tasmania for the first time: M. almbornii Coppins, M. argopsinosa P. M. McCarthy & Elix, M. byssacea (Th. Fr.) Czarnota et al., M. contexta Hedl., M. farinosa Coppins & Aptroot, M. humilis P. M. McCarthy & Elix, M. incrassata Hedl., M. myriocarpa V. Wirth & Vězda ex Coppins, M. nowakii Czarnota & Coppins and M. pseudocoppinsii Brand et al. Also recorded for the first time for Victoria are M. alabastrites (Nyl.) Coppins and M. cinerea (Schaer.) Hedl. A key to Micarea-like lichens in Tasmania, which includes Micarea itself as well as Brianaria, Psilolechia and Leimonis, is presented. Leimonis erratica (Körb.) R. C. Harris & Lendemer and Brianaria tuberculata (Sommerf.) S. Ekman & M. Svensson are recorded for Tasmania for the first time.