Bull. Natn. Sci. M us., Tokyo, Ser. B, 28(4), pp. I 07- 111 , December 20, 2002

New Species of Graphis, Phaeographina and Sarcographa(Ascomycotina, Graphidaceae) from Vanuatu
Minoru Nakanishi 1, Hiroyuki Kashiwadani 2 and Kwang Hee Moon 3
1Abstract

Faculty of Science, Okayama University of Science, 1- 1- 1 Ridai -cho, Okayama city
700- 0005 , Japan. E-mail: nakanisi@das.ous. ac.jp
2Department of Botany, National Science Museum, 4- 1- 1 Amakubo, Tsukuba,lbaraki 305- 0005 , Japan. E-mail: hkashiwa@kahaku. go.jp;
3atural Science Institute, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul 140- 742, Korea
E-mail: khdtank@hotma il.com

Four new species of the lichen family Graphidaceae are described from Vanuatu:

Graphis brevicarpa M.Nakan. , Kashiw. & K.H.Moon , Phaeographina albogranulifera M .Nakan. ,Kashiw. & K.H .Moon , P vanuatuensis M.Nakan. , Kashiw. & K.H.Moon and Sarcographa macrohydrina M.Nakan. , Kashiw. & K.H.Moon. They are all corticolous and so far known only fromYanuatu.
Key words:

Graphis, Phaeographina , Sarcographa , lichen, Yanuatu

The genera Craphis and Graphina are crustoselichens in the family Graphidaceae . Although
they are widely distributed in the world, especially in tropical and subtropical areas, only fourtaxa, Graphina mendax (Nyl.) Mi.ill.Arg. , G. pallido-ochracea (Kremp.) Zahlbr. , Craphis longula
Kremp. and G. assimilis f. ochracella Riisiinen
have been reported from Yanuatu (Archer 200 I a,200 I b & 200 I c, Elix & McCarthy 1998,Riisiinen 1949).
During their lichenological investigation ofYanuatu in October 2000, under the CollectionBuilding and Natural History Studies in Asia andthe Pacific Rim Project supported by the National
Science Museum, Tokyo, Kashiwadani andMoon made an extensive collection of lichens.
As a result of the taxonomic studies of specimens
belonging to the Graphidaceae, four new species
were found and these are described in the presentpaper.

Materials and Methods
The present study is based on 92 specimens ofthe family Graphidaceae collected in 2000 by

Kashiwadani and Moon from the islands of Espiritu Santo, Efate and Tanna . Specimens reported in the present paper are kept in the herbariumof the National Science Museum, Tokyo (TNS) .
Chemical substances were studied by means ofthin-layer chromatography (Culberson & Johnson 1982) and HPLC. Sections of apothecia andthalli were cut by hand-razor and mounted in lactophenol cotton-blue solution .

Speciesl) Graphis brevicarpa M.Nakan ., Kashiw. &K.H.Moon, sp. nov.
(Figs. I a, 2a & 3a)
Similis Craphi tenellulae sed labio margine
thallis bene superatis usque ad apicem et sporis
minoribus et 5- 6 loculis differt.
Thallus corticolous, continuous, smooth,whitish-gray, subnitid. Apothecia prominent,simple or sparingly branched, up to 1(- 1.5) mm
long ; labia nearly completely covered with athalline margin, convergent; exciple dimidiate,carboni zed laterally, 30-40 J.lm thick ; hymenium
40- 60 J.lm high, containing numerous oily
droplets . Spores colorless, asci 6- 8 spored ;108

M. Nakanishi, H. Kashiwadani and K.!-1. Moon

Fig. I. a, Craphis brevicarpa M.Nakan. , Kashiw. & K.H.Moon, ho lotype (TNS) ; b, Phaeographina a/bogranulifera M.Nakan. , Kashiw. & K.H.Moon, holotype (TNS); c, Phaeographina vanuatuensis M.Nakan. ,Kashi w. & K.H.Moon. ho lot ype (TNS); d. Sarcographa macroh1·drina M.Nakan. , Kashiw. & K.H.Moon.
ho lotypc (TNS) , scale bar= !mm.

spores ellipsoid, with 4- 5 transverse septa, 1720X6- 7 f..im.
Type collection: Yanuatu. Prov. Sanma. Espiritu Santo: Ca 7 km SW of Luganville. On bark of
Carga floribunda, elevation c. 15 m, October 26,2000, H. Kas hiwadani 43246- holotype in TNS.
Chemistry: norstictic acidCraphis brevicarpa is unique in havi ng ascocarps covered with thallus up to the top of thelabia, the exciple carbonized laterally, the smallspores with 4- 5 septa and the presence ofnorstictic acid.
G. brevicmpa can be readily distinguishedfrom C. longula Kremp. , the only species ofCraphis reported from Vanuatu (Type collection:Brazil , Glaziou 5497- holotype in M!), by thesmaller spores and by the presence of norstictic
acid; C. longula has larger spores with I 0- 17
locules and (40- )75- 90 f.1m in length , and produces no chemical substance. C. brevicarpa resembles C. tenellula Vain., a species reported
from St. Domingo and the Philippines (Type collection: Prope La C umbra, St. Domingo, C.
Raukiaer 490- holotype in TUR'), since they
have similar ascocarps and produce norstictic
acid . However, it can be distinguished from thelatter by the ascocarps covered with the thalline
margin up to the top, and by the small ascospores

New Species of Graph is, Phaeographina and Sarcographa from Vanuatu( 17- 20 ,urn in length) with 4- 5 septa (G. tenellula has larger spores with 8- 10 septa and 33- 35,urn in length ,). It might be confused G.
setschwanensis Zahlbr. (Type collection: China,Setschwan, 2700 m alt. , Handel-Mazetti 567holotype in W!), which has the ascocarps covered with powdery thalloid layers , larger spores(up to 35 ,urn in length) and completely lacks
chemical substances .
The new species is known only from the typecollection.

2) Phaeographina albogranulifera M.Nakan.,
Kashiw. & K.H.Moon, sp. nov. (Figs. 1b, 2b & 3b)
Similis Phaeographinae torquatae sed thallisrimosis isidiis et sporis minoribus differt.
Acidum norsticticum et acidum protocetraricum
continenti bus.
Thallus corticolous, continuous, smooth,whitish-gray, isidiate; isidia simple or furcatewith fluffy surfaces. Apothecia prominent, simple or sparingly branched, straight to ftexuous , up
to 2 mm long, to 0.5 mm wide ; labia thickly covered with a thalline margin, convergent; disc almost closed, to 0.1 mm wide, heavily pruinose

109

with white pruina; exciple thin , not carbonized;
hymenium 120- 140 ,urn high. Asci 1-spored; ascospores pale brown , muriform , 90- 140 X30- 50,urn.
Type collection : Vanuatu. Prov. Sanma. Espiritu San to : Butmas. On bark; elevation c. 520 m,October 24, 2000, H. Kashwiadani 43209- holotype in TNS.
Chemistry: norstictic acid and protocetraricacid .
Phaeographina albogranulifera resembles P
torquata Miill.Arg ., a species reported from Viet
Nam , which differs in having smaller spores 3540 ,urn in length and containing no lichen substances. In external appearance it resembles
Graphina soozana Zahlbr. , but can be readilydistinguished from the latter by the brown sporesand by the presence of protocetraric acid.
P albogranulife ra is known only from the typelocality.

3) Phaeographina vanuatuensis M .Nakan .,Kashiw. & K.H.Moon, sp. nov. (Figs. I c, 2c & 3c)
Similis Phaeographinae albogranuliferae sed
discis latioribus et thallus isidiis destitutis differt.

bc
Fig. 2.

Cross-sect ion o f apotheci a. a, Graph is brevicarpa; b, Phaeographina albogranuli(era ; c, P vanuatuensis;d, Sarcographa macrohydrina ; scale bar = I 00 ).I m.

M. Nakanishi, H. Kash iwadani and K.H. Moon

110~:Ai~}_'•.

/./!1:;~·· ~;;;·,.:~~-~-~~=t~ii:.v.~
i~ 5t'~·~t%~~~t;~,.,;p,p.,.,.-.•r;: ..•·

aI\:1;r:~4P.... ~\ ,~d ' (;:J1!:;f<'Fig. 3. Ascospores. a, Graphis brevicarpa; b, Phaeographina a/bogranu/ife ra; c, P vanuatuensis ; cl, Sarcographamacrohy drina ; scale bar= I00 ,Urn (a, b); scale bar = 50 ,Urn (c, d).

Acidum sticticum continentibus ..
Thallus corticolous, continuous, smooth,whitish-gray, without isidia or soredia. Apothecia
prominent, simple or sparingly branched, flexuous, up to 2 mm long, to 0.4- 0.5 mm wide; labia
thick, covered with a thalline margin up to thetop, divergent; disc open , covered with yellowish-white pruina, 0.2-0.4 mm wide; exciple thin ,non-carbonized; hymenium 115- 125 J..Lm high .
Asci 1-spored; spores pale brown, muriform, 7595(- IOO) X25- 30 J..lm .
Type collection: Vanuatu. Prov. Sanma. Espiritu Santa : Butmas. On bark of Citrus sp. ; elevation c . 520 m, October 24 , 2000, K. H. Moon
5563- holotype in TNS.
Chemistry: stictic acid.
Phaeographina vanuatuensis resembles P albogranulife ra in having non-carbonized ascocarps with so litary and large muriform spores.
However, it can be distinguished from the latterby the ascocarps with broader discs and smaller
ascospores. In addition it lacks norstictic acidand protocetraric acid which are constant chemical constituents in the latter species. It might beconfused with P caesioradiens (Leight.) Redinger,a species widely distributed in the southern
Hemisphere, which differs in having smaller
spores (35 X 18 J..Lm in size) and by the absence ofchemical ingredients.
P vanuatuensis is so far known only from narrow areas of Espiritu Santa. However, it is rather
common on bark of Citrus around the type locality.
Other specimen examined. Yanuatu. Prov.
Sanma. Espiritu Santa: Butmas. On bark of Citrus sp. ; elevation c. 500 m, October 24, 2000, H.
Kashiwadani 43216 (TNS).

4) Sarcograp ha macrohydrina M.Nakan .,Kashiw. & K.H .Moon , sp . nov. (Figs. Id, 2d & 3d)
Similis Sarcographae hydrinae sed stromatibus prominentibus, bene sessilibus et lirelliformibus differt. Acidum sticticum continentibus .
Thallus corticolous, continuous, smooth ,warty, subnitid. Stromata prominent, conspicuously sessile, lirelliform , sparingly branched, to 8mm long and to 0.5 mm wide ; exciples pale
brown laterally, dark brown to black , thick andcompletely closed at the base ; disc plane toNew Species of Graph is, Phaeographina and Sarcographa from Vanuatu

slightly concave, dark brown to black, conspicuously cracked, thinly pruinose ; hymenium 125~
140 f1m high. Asci 8-spored; ascospores darkbrown with 6-locules, 25 ~32 X 7~8 f1m .
Holotype. Vanuatu. Prov. Sanma. Espiritu
Santo: Butmas. On bark of Citrus sp.; elevationc. 520 m, October 24, 2000, K. H. Moon 5556?
holotype in TNS.
Chemistry: stictic acid.
Sarcographa macrohydrina has unique ascocarps with heavily cracked discs and can be easily distinguished from allied spectes ofSarcographa. It might be confused with S. hydrina (Vain.) Zahlbr. (Type collection: Philippine,Palawan, Merrill-9051 , TUR!) and S. protracta(Kremp.) Zahlbr. (Type collection: Pulo Pinang,0. Beccari 242, M!), species reported from tropical areas in Asia, because they all have apothecia
with discs divided by cracks, and ascospores ofsimilar size. However, it can be distinguishedfrom S. hydrina by the robust and elongatedlirelliform stromata and from S. protracta by therobust and elongated lirelliform stromata; furthermore, the ascocarps of the latter two species
are assemblages of punctiform apothecia of uneven width and are never lirelliform.
Specimens examined. Vanuatu. Prov. Sanma.
Espiritu San to : Butmas. On bark of Citrus sp.; el evation c. 520 m, October 24, 2000, H. Kashiwadani 43210 & 43212 (TNS); the same locality,
on bark of Citrus sp. , elevation 400 m, H. Kashiwadani 43433 (TNS).

Ill

Acknowledgements
We wish to express our sincere thanks to Or S.
Kurokawa (Botanical Gardens in Toyama) for his
critical reading of the manuscript, to Or J. Elix(Australian National University Canberra) for thedetermination of chemical substances and toProf. M .R.D. Seaward (University of Bradford)
for his corrections of our manuscript. This study
was partly supported by a Grant-in Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education,
Science, Culture and Sports of Japan to T.
lwashina, no. 12575013.

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