Two novel species of arctic-alpine lichen-forming fungi (Ascomycota, Megasporaceae) from the Deosai Plains, Pakistan

Usman, Muhammad; Dyer, Paul S.; Brock, Matthias; Wade, Christopher M.; Khalid, Abdul Nasir

Abstract

Members of the lichen-forming fungal genus Oxneriaria are known to occur in cold polar and high altitudinal environments. Two new species, Oxneriaria crittendenii and O. deosaiensis, are now described from the high altitude Deosai Plains, Pakistan, based on phenotypic, multigene phylogenetic and chemical evidence. Phenotypically, O. crittendenii is characterised by orbicular light-brown thalli 1.5–5 cm across, spot tests (K, C, KC) negative, apothecia pruinose, hymenium initially blue then dark orange in response to Lugol’s solution. Oxneriaria deosaiensis is characterised by irregular areolate grey thalli 1.5–2 cm across, K test (light brown), KC test (dark brown), apothecia epruinose, hymenium initially blue then dark blue in response to Lugol’s solution. Both species share the same characters of thalli with black margins and polarilocular ascospores. The closest previously reported species, O. pruinosa, differs from O. crittendenii and O. deosaiensis in having non-lobate margins, thin thalline exciple (45–80 μm thick), short asci (55–80 × 25–42 μm) and K positive (yellow) and KC negative tests and divergent DNA sequence in the ITS, LSU and mt SSU regions. The newly-described Oxneriaria species add to growing evidence of the Deosai Plains as a region of important arctic-alpine biodiversity.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 18, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Mar 1, 2024
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: Mar 12, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 14, 2024
• Journal: MycoKeys
• Print ISSN: 1314-4057
• Electronic ISSN: 1314-4049
• Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 102
• Pages: 285-299
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.102.113310
• Keywords: Aspicilia, Gilgit-Baltistan, Himalaya, Karakorum, Maximum Likelihood, Pertusariales, Skardu
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/32179156
• Publisher URL: https://mycokeys.pensoft.net/article/113310/