FOLIICOLOUS LICHENS AND THEIR LICHENICOLOUS
ASCOMYCETES FROM YUNNAN AND TAIWAN
André Aptroot
Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, P.O. Box 85167, NL-3508 AD Utrecht, The
Netherlands
Lidia I. Ferraro
Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste, C.C. 209, 3400 Corrientes, Argentina
Ming-Jou Lai
Dept. of Landscape Architecture, Tunghai University, P. O. Box 834, Taichung, Taiwan 407,
e-mail drlailib@ms21.hinet.net (corresponding author)
Harrie J. M. Sipman
Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 6-8,
D-14191 Berlin, Germany
Laurens B. Sparrius
Kongsbergstraat 1, NL-2804 XV Gouda, The Netherlands
Abstract: Foliicolous lichens from Taiwan and foliicolous lichens and
their lichenicolous ascomycetes from the Xishuangbanna region in
Yunnan are reported, based on recent field work by some of the authors.
The vast majority of the species encountered are new records for China
and/or Taiwan. Musaespora coccinea, so far only known from Papua New
Guinea, is reported from two countries on the Northern hemisphere, viz.
Brunei and China, and from Queensland in Australia. The accompanying
species in the three collecting localities are listed, with all species
mentioned from Brunei being new records for that country.
Key words: China, Australia, Brunei, Musaespora
Introduction
Taiwan and China are situated at the northern border of extension of the tropical rain
forest. This is the natural habitat for species-rich vegetations of foliicolous lichens and
their lichenicolous ascomycetes. So far, no lichenicolous fungi on foliicolous lichens
and only 20 species of foliicolous lichens have been recorded from China, all from the
Xishuangbanna region in Yunnan (Wei & Jiang 1991). Some previous and further
records are reported from Fujian, Hainan, Hunan and Yunnan by Santesson 1952
(Bacidina pallidocarnea, Byssoloma tricholomum, Calopadia puiggarii, C.
subcoerulescens, Coenogonium subluteum, Mazosia rotula, Porina epiphylla, P.
sphaerocephala, Sporopodium citrinum, Strigula melanobapha, S. smaragdula, S.
subtilissima), Lücking 1997 (Echinoplaca handelii), Lücking et al. 2001 (Echinoplaca
tetrapla), From the remainder of China virtually no foliicolous lichens are known,
except for some records from Hong Kong (Aptroot & Seaward 1999; Aptroot & Sipman
2001), where the foliicolous flora is poor with less than a dozen species, possibly partly
due to the poor state of the forests. Recently, several foliicolous lichens have been
reported from Taiwan, mainly pyrenocarpous species (Aptroot 2003), but also other
microlichens (Aptroot & Sparrius 2003). Foliicolous lichens were especially reported
from conifer needles, e.g. Fellhanera subternella, F. subtilis and Fellhaneropsis
kurokawae (Aptroot & Sparrius 2003) and from bamboo, e.g. Bacidia apiahica, Porina
applanata, P. atrocaerulea, P. chrysophora and P. leptosperma (Aptroot 2003).
Here we report many foliicolous lichens from Taiwan (Table 1) and foliicolous
lichens and their lichenicolous ascomycetes from the Xishuangbanna region in Yunnan
(Table 2), based on recent field work by some of the authors. The vast majority of the
species encountered are new records for China and/or Taiwan. Still, the overall
foliicolous lichen flora is not species-rich, no doubt due to the position of the region at
the northern extension of the tropics.
During a visit to KUN shortly before the fieldwork in Yunnan, a specimen from
Hainan Island was identified as Musaespora coccinea Aptroot & Sipman. This species
with a conspicuously red thallus is unlikely to be overlooked easily, but had previously
been reported from Papua New Guinea only, from where it was originally described
more than ten years ago (Aptroot & Sipman 1993). However, here we report its
occurrence in two additional countries; one on the Northern Hemisphere (Brunei), and
one in Queensland in Australia. The accompanying species in the three collecting
localities are listed (Table 3), with all species mentioned from Brunei being new records
for that country, while all accompanying species from Australia have already been
reported (Lücking et al. 2001), although some (e.g. Mazosia aptrootii Sipman) have
been reported only once before.
Material and methods
Herbarium vouchers are kept for all records, the vast majority in ABL, with some
specimens from Yunnan in B and KUN.
Collecting localities and species lists
Table 1: Foliicolous lichens in Taiwan
new * in this column means new to Taiwan
A
Nantou County, 45 km WNW of Hualien, Meifeng, broadleaf forest remnant on
ridge, alt. 2050 m, leg. A. Aptroot, 10 October 2001, on Machilus.
B
Same locality, on Fatsia.
C
Same locality, on Hydrangea
D
Nantou County, Chitou, alt. 1100 m, leg. M.-J. Lai, 25 May 2001, on Phoebe
formosana.
E
Same locality, on Alpinia speciosa.
F
Same locality, on Asplenium nidus.
G
Nantou County, 15 km ENE of Puli, near Wushe, river gorge, 950 m. alt., leg.
A. Aptroot, 9 October 2001, on Polystichum.
H
Same locality, on Turpinia.
I
Same locality, on Arenga.
J
Pingtung County, Kenting Forest Recreation Area, forest reserve, alt. 200 m,
leg. A. Aptroot, 16 October 2001, on Diospyros.
New
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Table 1. Species in Taiwan
Actinoplaca strigulacea Müll. Arg.
Asterothyrium microsporum R. Sant.
Aulaxina quadrangula (Stirt.) R. Sant.
Bacidina apiahica (Müll. Arg.) Vezda
Bacidina pallidocarnea (Müll. Arg.) Vezda
Byssoloma leucoblepharum (Nyl.) Vain.
Byssoloma subdiscordans (Nyl.) P. James
Calenia depressa Müll. Arg.
Calenia monospora Vezda
Calenia sp.
Calopadia subcoerulescens (Zahlbr.) Vezda
Calopadia sp.
Caprettia sp.
Coenogonium subluteum (Rehm) Kalb &
Lücking
Echinoplaca epiphylla Fée
Echinoplaca hispida Sipman
Echinoplaca leucotrichoides (Vain.) R. Sant.
Fellhanera bouteillei (Desm.) Vezda
Fellhanera semecarpi (Vain.) Vezda
Gyalectidium catenulatum (Cavalc. & A.A.
Silva) Ferraro, Lücking & Sérus.
Gyalectidium caucasicum (Elenk. & Woron.)
Vezda
Gyalectidium filicinum Müll. Arg.
Gyalideopsis rubescens Vezda
Lyromma nectandrae Batista & Maia
Mazosia melanophthalma (Müll. Arg.) R. Sant.
Porina chrysophora (Stirt.) R. Sant.
Porina nitidula Müll. Arg.
Porina pallescens R. Sant.
Porina perminuta Vain.
Porina rufula (Krempelh.) Vain.
Sporopodium flavescens (R.Sant.) Vezda
Sporopodium leprieurii Mont.
Sporopodium xantholeucum (Müll. Arg.)
Zahlbr.
Strigula concreta (Fée) R. Sant.
Strigula nemathora Mont.
Strigula smaragdula Fr.
Strigula sp. indet.
Tricharia armata Vezda
Tricharia carnea (Müll. Arg.) R. Sant.
Tricharia kashiwadanii G.Thor, Lücking & Tat.
Matsumoto
Tricharia vainioi R. Sant.
A
B
C
x
x
D
x
E
F
x
x
G
H
I
J
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Table 2: Foliicolous lichens in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China
new * in this column means new to China (including Hong Kong)
A
Menglun, Tropical Botanical Garden, alt. 550 m, leg. A. Aptroot, 1 November
2002.
B
Green Stone Park, 2 km SE of Menglun, alt. 600 m, leg. A. Aptroot & H.J.M.
Sipman, 1 November 2002.
C
Menglun, Tropical Botanical Garden, disturbed primary rainforest remnant, alt.
550 m, leg. A. Aptroot & H.J.M. Sipman, 2 November 2002.
D
8 km E of Jinghong, Xishuangbanna Primeval Forest Park, primary forest
remnant in narrow valley, alt. 600 m, leg. A. Aptroot, 3 November 2002.
New
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Table 2. Species in Yunnan
Actinoplaca strigulacea Müll. Arg.
Asterothyrium microsporum R. Sant.
Aulaxina quadrangula (Stirt.) R. Sant.
Aulaxina sp.
Bacidia olivaceorufa Vain.
Bacidina mirabilis (Vezda) Vezda
Bacidina scutellifera Vezda
Bacidina sp.
Bullatina aspidota (Vain.) Vezda & Poelt
Byssolecania variabilis Vezda, Kalb & Lücking
Byssoloma leucoblepharum (Nyl.) Vain.
Byssoloma subdiscordans (Nyl.) P. James
Calenia depressa Müll. Arg.
Calenia monospora Vezda
Calenia thelotremella Vain.
Calopadia subcoerulescens (Zahlbr.) Vezda
Caprettia sp.
Coenogonium subluteum (Rehm) Kalb & Lücking
Coenogonium zonatum (Müll. Arg.) Lücking & Kalb
Cryptothecia candida (Krempelh.) R. Sant.
Echinoplaca epiphylla Fée
Echinoplaca leucotrichoides (Vain.) R. Sant.
Fellhanera bouteillei (Desm.) Vezda
Fellhanera fuscatula (Müll. Arg.) Vezda
Gyalectidium australe Lücking
Gyalectidium caucasicum (Elenk. & Woron.) Vezda
Gyalectidium filicinum Müll. Arg.
Lyromma nectandrae Batista & Maia
Mazosia melanophthalma (Müll. Arg.) R. Sant.
Mazosia phyllosema (Nyl.) Zahlbr.
Opegrapha ectolechiacearum Matzer & R. Sant.
Porina albicera (Krempelh.) van Overeem-de Haas
Porina conica R. Sant.
Porina cupreola (Müll. Arg.) Schilling
Porina epiphylla (Fée) Fée
Porina epiphylloides Vezda
Porina imitatrix Müll. Arg.
Porina karnatakensis Makhija et al.
Porina lucida R. Sant.
A
x
B
x
C
x
x
x
x
D
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Porina mirabilis Lücking & Vezda (c. schizidia)
Porina nitidula Müll. Arg.
Porina rufula (Krempelh.) Vain.
Porina trichothelioides R. Sant.
Porina virescens (Krempelh.) Müll. Arg.
Sporopodium leprieurii Mont.
Sporopodium phyllocharis (Mont.) Massal.
Sporopodium xantholeucum (Müll. Arg.) Zahlbr.
Stigmidium calopadiae Matzer
Stigmidium epiphyllum Matzer
Stigmidium trichotheliorum Matzer
Strigula concreta (Fée) R. Sant.
Strigula maculata (Cooke & Massee) R. Sant.
Strigula macrocarpa Vain.
Strigula minor (Vezda) Sérus.
Strigula nemathora Mont.
Strigula nemathora var. hypothelia (Nyl.) R. Sant.
Strigula nitidula Mont.
Strigula phyllogena (Müll. Arg.) R.C. Harris
Strigula smaragdula Fr.
Strigula subtilissima (Fée) Müll. Arg.
Tricharia armata Vezda
Tricharia vainioi R. Sant.
Trichothelium alboatrum Vain.
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Table 3: Foliicolous lichens associated with Musaespora coccinea
new * in this column means new to Brunei
A
Australia, Queensland, Atherton Tablelands, Bellenden Ker National Park,
Boulders Area, 6 km W of Babinda, 50 m alt., leg. A. Aptroot, 6 August 1999.
B
Brunei Darussalam, Temburong, Kuala Belalong Field Research Centre, leg. W.H.
Ho & Yanna, 19 February 1999, on leaves of small herbs along path through rain
forest.
C
China, Hainan Province, Le Dong County, Tian Chi Natural Forest Reserve, leg.
Xing Jiang Li, 15 December 1989.
New Table 3. Species associations with Musaespora coccinea
Actinoplaca strigulacea Müll. Arg.
Arthonia cyanea Müll. Arg.
*
Arthonia intermedia Matzer
*
Arthonia ramosii (Räs.) R. Sant.
Arthonia sp.
Aspidothelium fugiens (Müll. Arg.) R. Sant.
Aulaxina cf. epiphylla (Zahlbr.) R. Sant.
*
Byssolecania fumosonigricans (Müll. Arg.) R. Sant.
Calenia bullatinoides Lücking
Calenia graphidea Vain.
Calenia phyllogena (Müll. Arg.) R. Sant.
Calenia thelotremella Vain.
*
Calopadia fusca (Müll. Arg.) Vezda
*
Calopadia phyllogena (Müll. Arg.) Vezda
A
B
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
C
x
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Calopadia sp.
Chroodiscus mirificus (Krempelh.) R. Sant.
Chroodiscus cf. mirificus (with large spores)
Coccocarpia cf. pellita (Ach.) Müll. Arg.
Coenogonium hypophyllum (Vezda) Kalb & Lücking
Coenogonium interpositum Nyl.
Coenogonium subluteum (Rehm) Kalb & Lücking
Cryptothecia sp.
Echinoplaca leucotrichoides (Vain.) R. Sant.
Echinoplaca pellicula (Müll. Arg.) R. Sant.
Gyalideopsis cochlearifer Lücking & Sérus.
Loflammia epiphylla (Fée) Lücking & Vezda
Loflammia gabrielis (Müll. Arg.) Vezda
Mazosia aptrootii Sipman
Mazosia bambusae (Vain.) R. Sant.
Mazosia melanophthalma (Müll. Arg.) R. Sant.
Mazosia paupercula (Müll. Arg.) R. Sant.
Mazosia phyllosema (Nyl.) Zahlbr.
Musaespora coccinea Aptroot & Sipman
Opegrapha cf. lambinonii Sérus.
Porina applanata Vain.
Porina distans Vezda & Vivant
Porina epiphylla (Fée) Fée
Porina imitatrix Müll. Arg.
Porina karnatakensis Makhija et al.
Porina lucida R. Sant.
Porina mirabilis Lücking & Vezda
Porina rubentior (Stirt.) Müll. Arg.
Porina rufula (Krempelh.) Vain.
Porina virescens (Krempelh.) Müll. Arg.
Porina sp. nov. (aff. lucida, but spores c. 13-septate, 45-85 µm long)
Porina sp. indet.
Semigyalecta paradoxa Vain.
Sporopodium phyllocharis (Mont.) Massal.
Strigula subtilissima (Fée) Müll. Arg.
Tricharia albostrigosa R. Sant.
Tricharia leucothrix Mont.
Trichothelium epiphyllum Müll. Arg.
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Discussion
Most of the taxa reported above are widespread and common, i.e. usually those first
found in non-systematic collections. It is surprising that no undescribed taxa were
encountered, except for a Porina species in Brunei, which is left undescribed here
because the available material is rather scanty. Better material will doubtlessly be found
in future if the foliicolous lichen flora in the area will be investigated in more detail.
Experience shows that with deeper studies, more rare species will be discovered, i.e.
even if the communities in these forests are poor in species, there might be quite a
number of yet undiscovered taxa.
Acknowledgements
André Aptroot wishes to thank the Schure-Beijerinck-Popping Fund of the Royal
Academy of Arts and Sciences for financial support. He and Harrie Sipman wish to
thank Wang Li-Song for help with organizing the field trip in Xishuangbanna and the
permits required.
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Laurens Sparrius