BGBM: lichens, keys, CR thelotremataceae

Acanthotrema, Ampliotrema, Chapsa, Gyrotrema, Fibrillithecis, Leptotrema, Leucodecton, Melanotrema, Myriotrema, Ocellularia, Ramonia?, Redingeria, Reimnitzia, Stegobolus, Thelotrema

The species of Acanthotrema in Costa Rica

Acanthotrema brasilianum (Hale) A.Frisch] - Thallus greyish green, over 5 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface slightly shiny, often with cylindrical, slightly tapering, glossy, to ca. 2 mm long ISIDIA, with distinct cortex, not oily; medulla thin, whitish; ascocarps level with thallus surface, elongate or stellate with 2-5 radii, ca. 1.5-2.5 mm diam., with margin of few erect to recurved slips, without externally visible inner excipulum, with dark flesh-coloured disc; hymenium 45-70 mu, clear, with papillose paraphyse tips; spores hyaline, transversely septate, 8/ascus, I-negative, ca. 10-14 x 4-5 mu, 4 celled, with thin septa; chemistry: no substance. Specimen studied: Sipman 53247.


Costa Rica (Sipman 53247); picture length = 3.5 mm.

The species of Ampliotrema in Costa Rica

Ampliotrema amplius (Nyl.) Kalb - Thallus greenish grey, ca. 3 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface slightly shiny, with distinct, not filmy cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps immersed in raised, ca. 0.6-1.0 mm wide warts with 0.2-0.4 mm wide, round, pale-rimmed pore showing the grey disc, with carbonized excipulum, without columellae, without externally visible inner excipulum; hymenium 120 mu, guttulate; spores hyaline, transversely septate, ca. 4/ascus, I+ violet, ca. 25 x 9 mu, ca. 8 celled; chemistry: protocetraric acid. Specimen studied: Sipman 41993.


Costa Rica (Sipman 41993); picture length = 3.5 mm.	Venezuela (Sipman 26684); picture length = 4 mm.

Ampliotrema auratipruinosa (Breuss) INED. - Thallus pale greenish grey, over 3 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface slightly shiny, with distinct cortex, not oily; medulla distinct, white, with more or less branched, to 0.7 mm tall ISIDIA; ascocarps immersed in 1.0-1.5 mm wide warts with ca. 0.5 mm wide pore with pale margin showing the orange disc, with carbonized excipulum, without columellae, without externally visible inner excipulum; hymenium 180-220 mu, guttulate; spores hyaline, transversely septate, 4(-6)/ascus, I+ "blue", ca. 60-90 x 12-14 mu, 17-20 celled; chemistry: protocetraric acid (teste B. Emmerer, Graz). NOTE: Reported by and description based on Breuss (2000: 1047, Bosque Esquinas). Seemingly an isidiate relative of Ocellularia lepadinoides (Leight.) Zahlbr. = Ampliotrema lepadinoides (Leight.) Kalb.


in prep.

Ampliotrema auratum (Tuck.) Kalb - Thallus continuously pale brownish grey, over 5 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface shiny, with distinct, hardly filmy? cortex, not oily; medulla thin, whitish; ascocarps immersed in distinctly raised, 0.9-1.2 mm wide warts with up to 0.5 mm wide pale-rimmed pore showing the yellow-pruinose, non-columellate disc, with carbonized excipulum, without externally visible inner excipulum; hymenium 100-110 mu, inspersed; spores hyaline, muriform, 8/ascus, I+ bluish?, c.24-26 x 12 mu, 6-7 x 1-3 celled; chemistry: protocetraric acid. NOTE: resembling O. panamensis by its yellow disc, but differing in spore colour and chemistry. Description after Hale (1978). Not yet known from Costa Rica, but reported from Panama (Hale 1978).


Venezuela (Sipman 26757); picture length = 4 mm.	Venezuela (Sipman 26757); picture length = 4 mm.

Brazil (Malme 88); picture length = 4 mm.

The species of Chapsa in Costa Rica

Chapsa alborosella (Nyl.) A.Frisch [Chroodiscus alborosellus (Nyl.) Kalb] - Thallus greenish grey, ca. 3 cm diam., epiphloeodal to (usually) endophloeodal, continuous, surface very slightly shiny, with indistinct cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps level with thallus surface, rounded or elongate, ca. 0.3-0.7(-1.0) mm diam., with margin of few erect to recurved slips, without externally visible inner excipulum, with more or less white-powdered, flesh-coloured disc, occasionally with regenerated hymenia and double margins; hymenium 35-60(-90?) mu, clear; spores hyaline, transversely septate, 8/ascus, I-negative, ca. 14-25 x 4-5 mu, 6-8 celled, with thin septa, with distinct halo; chemistry: no substance. Specimens studied: Sipman 41958, 41962, 42376, 12310 (U). NOTE: Nr. 41958 has distinctly larger hymenium and spores (90, 25 x 5) than the other specimens (35-60, 14-15 x 4-5).


Costa Rica (Sipman 42376); picture length = 3.5 mm.	Costa Rica (Sipman 42376); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Costa Rica (Sipman 12339 (U)); picture length = 3.5 mm.	Costa Rica (Sipman 12309 (U)); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa "bicellularis" INED. - Thallus pale grey-brown, ca. 5 cm diam., endophloeodal, continuous, surface dull (endophloeodic), with indistinct cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps level with thallus surface, rounded, 0.2-0.4 mm wide, with margin of few, more or less recurved slips, without externally visible inner excipulum, with exposed, pale brown to flesh-coloured disc; hymenium 40-50 mu, clear, with papillose paraphyse tips; spores hyaline, transversely septate, 8/ascus, I-negative, ca. 4.5 x 2.5 mu, 2 celled, rather uniseriate, with thin septa; chemistry: no substance. Specimen studied: Sipman 48392A. NOTE: single specimen, from shrub stem in disturbed forest along stream.


Costa Rica (Sipman 48392A); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa cinchonarum (Fée) A.Frisch - Thallus whitish grey, over 3 cm diam., endophloeodal, continuous, surface dull, with indistinct cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps immersed, edgy, with ca. 0.5 mm wide, pinkish disc and low, thick margin, without externally visible inner excipulum; hymenium 70 mu, clear; spores hyaline, transversely septate, -8/ascus?, I-negative, ca. 30 x 6 mu, ca. 10 celled, with thin septa and thin halo; chemistry: no substance. Specimens studied: Aptroot 60580. NOTE: fragmentary specimen.


Costa Rica (Aptroot 60580); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa cinchonarum (Fée) A.Frisch? [Thelotrema velatum Müll. Arg.] - Thallus pale blue-greenish grey, thin, ca. 1 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface dull, with indistinct cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps immersed, rounded, sometimes in rows, with ca. 0.5 mm wide, grey disc and low, crumbling (damaged?) or slightly slip-shaped margin, without externally visible inner excipulum; hymenium ? mu, clear; spores hyaline, submuriform, 8/ascus, I-negative, ca. 30-35 x 8-10 mu, ca. 13-16 x 1(-2) celled, with thin septa; chemistry: not tested (thallus very small). NOTE: Lectotype in G (Tonduz, 1893), selected by Hale 1972, seen! Superficially very similar to the CR specimen of T. leprocarpum.


in prep.

Chapsa conglomerata (Hale) INED. - Thallus greenish grey, over 5 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface dull, with indistinct cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps level with thallus surface, rounded or elongate, ca. 0.5-0.8 mm diam., with margin of few erect slips, with thick, white inner excipulum forming a similar, inner ring of slips, largely covering the more or less white-powdered, flesh-coloured disc; hymenium 45-70 mu, clear; spores hyaline, transversely septate, 8/ascus, I+ blue, ca. 16-20 x 5 mu, ca. 8 celled, with thin septa; chemistry: stictic, ?constictic acids. Specimens studied: Sipman 41972, 41974. NOTE: The spores with thin septa suggest an affinity with Chapsa rather than Thelotrema, where the "double excipulum" is more usual.


Costa Rica (Sipman 41972); picture length = 3.5 mm.	Costa Rica (Sipman 41972); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa conveniens (Nyl.) INED. - Thallus pale tannish grey, over 5 cm diam., warty, epiphloeodal, continuous, surface shiny, with distinct, not filmy cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct, whitish; ascocarps immersed in the thallus or in slightly raised, 0.6-1.0 mm wide warts with warty margin and 0.2-0.3 mm wide pore showing the free inner excipulum, not carbonized and without columella; hymenium ? mu, clear; spores hyaline, muriform, 1/ascus, I+ blue?, ca. 150 x 30 mu, ca. ? x ? celled (densely muriform); chemistry: no substance. NOTE: Description after Hale (1978). Not yet known from Costa Rica, but reported from Panama (Hale 1978). Seemingly close to C. patens (Nyl.) A.Frisch.


Puerto Rico (Sipman 26009a); picture length = 4 mm.

Chapsa cruentata (Mont.) INED. [Ocellularia cruentata (Mont.) Hafellner & Magnes] - Thallus yellowish grey, ca. 6 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface slightly shiny, with distinct cortex, oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps level with thallus, ca. 1.0-1.2 mm wide, round or slightly elongate, with recurved, thalline margin divided into ca. 6 slips, showing a grey or slightly reddish, free, incurved inner excipulum often split into ca. 4 slips, which covers most of the blackish disc; hymenium ca. 150 mu, clear; spores hyaline, muriform, 8/ascus, I-negative, ca. 30 x 12 mu, ca. 6 c 2 celled, with rounded lumina, with distinct halo; chemistry: not investigated. Specimen studied: Sipman 52084. NOTE: This species was long considered as a non-lichenized fungus. Indeed our specimen gives the impression of fungal ascocarps protruding through a lichen thallus and the ascospores are remarkable synchronized in their development. However, the hymenial and thallus characters agree well with Thelotremataceae, the ascocarps remind of Thelotrema platycarpum and are restricted to one type of thallus.


Costa Rica (Sipman 52084); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa dilatata (Müll. Arg.) INED. - Thallus greenish grey, ca. 5 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface dull, with indistinct cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps level with thallus surface, rounded or elongate, ca. 1 mm diam., with margin of few erect to recurved slips, without externally visible inner excipulum; hymenium 60 mu, clear; spores hyaline, transversely septate, 8/ascus, I-negative, ca. 16-21 x 5 mu, 6 celled, with rather thin septa; chemistry: ??? (K+ y->r). Specimens studied: Sipman 12085 (U), 48063F. NOTE: Hale (1978) reports I+ blue spores.


Costa Rica (Sipman 48063F); picture length = 3.5 mm.	Costa Rica (Sipman 12085); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa hiata (Hale) INED. - Thallus whitish, over 5 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous?, surface slightly shiny?, with distinct?, not filmy cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct, whitish; ascocarps immersed in the thallus, 0.4-0.7 mm wide, with thick, erect or slightly recurved, split margin and black or slightly white-pruinose, exposed disc, without externally visible inner excipulum; hymenium ca. 180-200? mu, clear; spores hyaline, muriform, 4-8/ascus, I+ blue?, ca. 12 x 6 mu, 2-1 x 1-2 celled; chemistry: no substance. NOTE: Description after Hale (1978). Not yet known from Costa Rica, but reported from Panama (Hale 1978).


in prep.

Chapsa kalbii A.Frisch? ["Thelotrema cf. chionostomum Nyl.; syn. Ocellularia phlyctellacea Müll. Arg."] - Thallus evanescent with scattered small and indistinct greenish grey patches, over 5 cm diam., epiphloeodal to endophloeodal, surface dull, with indistinct cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps slightly immersed in the bark, irregularly rounded to elongate, with 0.2 x 0.2-0.5 mm wide, white disc, without thalline margin, the inner excipulum forming a white rim around the disc, separate from the thallus; hymenium ? mu, clear; spores hyaline, submuriform, 8/ascus, I-, ca. 18 x 6 mu, ca. 6 x 1-2 celled, with thin septa; chemistry: no substance. Specimens studied: Aptroot 60508. NOTE: The CR material is very deviating and its identification uncertain. The description of T. chionostomum by Hale (1978) mentions transversely septate spores 10-18 x 4-6 mu, with 4-5 cells; the ascocarps are more rounded.


Costa Rica (Aptroot 60508); picture length = 3.5 mm.	Brazil (Malme 2061), "Thelotrema phlyctellacea macrocarpa"; picture length = 4 mm.

Chapsa leprocarpa (Nyl.) A.Frisch - Thallus pale blue-greenish grey, ca. 1 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface dull, with indistinct cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps immersed, rounded, with ca. 0.5 mm wide, grey disc and low, often crumbling (damaged) margin, without externally visible inner excipulum, often without hymenium and with white disc; hymenium 90-100 mu, clear; spores hyaline, muriform, 1(-2)/ascus, I-negative, ca. 60-75 x 20-28 mu, ca. 30 x 10 celled, with thin septa and thin halo; chemistry: no lichen substances. Specimens studied: Aptroot 60644a, Sipman 51978. NOTE: The paraphyse tips are raised above the hymenial gelatine and consist of short, grey cells.


Costa Rica (Aptroot 60644A); picture length = 3.5 mm.	Costa Rica (Sipman 51978); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa "perdissuta" INED. - Thallus greyish green, over 5 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface shiny, with almost filmy cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct, whitish; ascocarps immersed in thallus, 0.6-1.0 mm wide, with margin divided into ca. 3 incurved slips largely covering the pinkish disc, without carbonized parts, without externally visible inner excipulum; hymenium ca. 250 mu, clear; spores hyaline, muriform, 1/ascus, I+ violet., ca. 160-180 x 35 mu, ca. 50 x 15 celled; chemistry: no substance. Specimens studied: Sipman 12125 (U). NOTE: may be close to Thelotrema papillosum Hale which deviates by a papillose thallus and I-negative spores, and to Fissurina "gomezii" with 2 spores per ascus.


Costa Rica (Sipman 12125 (U)); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa platycarpella (Vain.) A.Frisch - Thallus dark greenish, over 3 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface very slightly shiny, with indistinct cortex, oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps level with thallus surface, rounded or elongate, ca. 0.2-0.8 mm diam., with margin of few erect to recurved slips, without externally visible inner excipulum, with more or less white-powdered, flesh-coloured disc, often in groups of 2-5; hymenium 50 mu, clear; spores hyaline, transversely septate, 8/ascus, I-negative, ca. 14-16 x 3-4 mu, 6 celled, with thin septa; chemistry: no substance. Specimens studied: Sipman 37283, Aptroot 60495.


Costa Rica (Aptroot 60495); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa platycarpa (Tuck.) A.Frisch; incl. Thelotrema platycarpoides Tuck. - Thallus yellowish grey, ca. 3-6 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface slightly shiny, with distinct cortex, oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps level with thallus, ca. 0.5-2.5 mm wide, round or slightly elongate, with recurved, thalline margin divided into ca. 6 slips, showing the grey to flesh-coloured, rusty brown or white-pruinose disc, with free, much lower, incurved, lacerate, whitish inner excipulum; hymenium 60-70 mu, clear; spores grey, transversely septate, 8/ascus, I-negative, ca. 10-14 x 4-6 mu, 3-4 celled, with thick outer wall; chemistry: stictic and constictic acid, or no substance. Specimens studied: Sipman 12312, 37279, 52073, Aptroot 60781. NOTE: Hale (1981) indicates the presence of stictic and constictic acids. Nr. 12312 identified by M. Hale in 1980 as Thelotrema platycarpoides, with the indication that constictic acid alone is present.


Costa Rica (Sipman 52073); picture length = 3.5 mm.	Costa Rica (Sipman 52073); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Costa Rica (Sipman 12312); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa pseudoschizostoma (Hale) INED. - Thallus greenish grey, over 5 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface dull, with indistinct cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct, whitish; ascocarps level with thallus, 0.3-0.6 mm wide, round or somewhat elongate or edgy, with erect margin more or less distinctly divided in 3-4 slips or crumbling apically, with weakly white-powdered, pinkish disc, with white inner excipulum usually forming the inner side of the margin, often aggregated in irregular groups; hymenium 55-75 mu, clear; spores hyaline, transversely septate, 8/ascus, I+ (dark) blue, ca. 15-18 x 5-6 mu, 6-8 celled; chemistry: stictic, ?constictic acids. Specimens studied: Sipman 41980, 41981, Aptroot 60496, 60506. NOTE: to be compared with the type: this is said to have a whitish thallus, and the ascocarps seem more scattered. The identification is uncertain and the available specimens might belong to C. dilatatum.


Costa Rica (Sipman 41980); picture length = 3.5 mm.	Costa Rica (Sipman 41981); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Costa Rica (Aptroot 60506); picture length = 3.5 mm.	Costa Rica (Sipman 41980); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa "rotunda" INED. - Thallus pale grey, ca. 3 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface dull, with indistinct cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct; ascocarps slightly raised, with one or two ca. 0.2 mm wide, rounded, pinkish, somewhat white-powdered discs in ca. 0.5 mm wide, low warts, with distinct inner excipulum forming a low white rim, surrounded by a crumbling thalline margin; hymenium 60 mu, clear; spores hyaline, transversely septate, 8/ascus, I-negative, ca. 24 x 7 mu, 9-10 celled, with thin septa; chemistry: no substance found by TLC, but thallus K+ yellow -> orange. Specimens studied: Sipman 47931.


Costa Rica (Sipman 47931); picture length = 3.5 mm.

Chapsa stellata (Hale) INED. - Thallus pale yellow-bluish, ca. 5 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface slightly shiny, with distinct?, not filmy cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct, whitish; ascocarps immersed in the thallus, to 2 mm wide, with thick, recurved margin stellately split in several slips and dark or slightly white-pruinose, exposed disc, without externally visible inner excipulum; hymenium ca. 220-230 mu, clear; spores grey, muriform, 2/ascus, I-, ca. 105-120 x 22-26 mu, ? x ? celled ("dense murales"); chemistry: no substance. NOTE: Description after Hale (1978). Not yet known from Costa Rica, but reported from Panama (Hale 1978).


in prep.

Chapsa sublilacina (Ellis & Everh.) INED. - Thallus dark greenish, ca. 10 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface slightly shiny, with indistinct cortex, oily; medulla indistinct or whitish; ascocarps level with thallus, 1-3 mm wide, rounded, with margin of erect to recurved slips, often with inner row of separate slips, with low inner excipulum; hymenium ca. 150-250 mu, clear; spores hyaline, transversely septate, in the available material not properly developed but according to Hale (1978) 2-4/ascus, I+ blue, 60-120 x 10-15 mu, 15-20 celled, (juv. thin septa?); chemistry: stictic, ?constictic acids. Specimens studied: Sipman 51168, 51164, 37258, Aptroot 60224.


Costa Rica (Sipman 51162B); picture length = 3.5 mm.	Costa Rica (Sipman 51162B); picture length = 3.5 mm.

The species of Gyrotrema in Costa Rica

Gyrotrema wirthii Rivas Plata, Lücking & Lumbsch - Thallus dark greenish, over 10 cm diam., epiphloeodal, continuous, surface slightly shiny, with indistinct cortex, not oily; medulla indistinct, white; ascocarps level with thallus, 1.5-4 mm wide, with margin of recurved slips, orange inside, without externally visible inner excipulum, with exposed, yellow-pruinose disc with concentric, more or less split, incurved, orange ridges; hymenium not seen; spores not seen; chemistry: no substance. Specimen studied: Sipman 48393. NOTE: The generic attribution is uncertain while spores absent, in spite of numerous ascocarps. Probably more then one species are present, differing in ascocarp colour and thallus structure, see two specimens illustrated below. The species grow on rather shady trunks in lowland forest.


Costa Rica (Sipman 48393); picture length = 3.5 mm.	same specimen; picture length = 7 mm.

Costa Rica (Sipman 51162A); picture length = 3.5 mm.	same specimen; picture length = 7 mm.