Coniocarpon rubrocinctum Perlmutter, R. Miranda & Bungartz 2023, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Perlmutter, Gary B.
name: Miranda-González, Ricardo
name: Bungartz, Frank
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Fungi
Ascomycota
Lecanoromycetes
Xylographaceae
Coniocarpon
Coniocarpon rubrocinctum

description: Coniocarpon rubrocinctum (G. Merr. ex Grube & Lendemer) Perlmutter, R. Miranda & Bungartz comb. nov.
(Fig 1)
MycoBank No. MB 847702
Basionym: — Arthonia rubrocincta G. Merr. ex Grube & Lendemer (2009: 9).
Type: — UNITED STATES. Florida: Collier County, Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, vicinity of Ranger Station, disturbed roadside vegetation and shaded swampy hardwood forest, on petioles of Sabal palmetto, 4 March 2009, J.C. Lendemer 15506 (holotype NY 01133735, n.v.; isotypes distributed as Lichens of Eastern North America Exsiccati #351, DUKE!).
Description: — Life form lichenized fungus. Thallus endoperidermal to epiperidermal, thin, effuse; surface whitish or greenish gray, in older specimens pale tan, smooth, occasionally with reddish or orange pigment crystals and areas of pinkish staining; prothallus brown, often as contact lines. Photobiont trentepohlioid alga, endoperidermal; cells (7.8–) 11.7 (–18.2) × (5.2–) 8.3 (–15.6) µm (n = 39), in short branched chains. Ascomata dispersed, sessile, elongate to furcate, lirellate with ±straight branches and acute tips, (0.4–) 1.0 (–1.6) × (0.2–) 0.3 (–0.5) mm (n = 60); disk flat, brown, often covered with whitish pruina; margin thick, coated with red or orange pruina.
In section ascoma (104–) 139 (–208) µm high (n = 6). Excipuloid layer lateral, (26–) 56 (–130) µm (n = 12) wide, dark brownish and infused with reddish pigment crystals. Epithecium (13–) 21 (–26) µm (n = 8) thick, brownish; hymenium hyaline, yellowish in thick sections, (52–) 64 (–91) µm high (n = 10); hypothecium pale brownish, (22–) 42 (–104) µm thick (n = 8). Asci abundant, clavate, (39.0–) 53.3 (–78.0) × (10.5–) 17.0 (–34.0) µm (n = 60), 8-spored, stipe short or indistinct, tholus (4.0–) 8.5 (–15.0) µm thick (n = 10); ascospores narrowly obovate, hyaline, smooth, faintly verrucose and appearing grayish and granular when postmature, macrocephalic, (4–)5-celled, (15.5–) 22.0 (–26.0) × (4.0–) 5.5 (–8.0) µm (n = 60). Pycnidia frequent, ±globose, partly immersed, (52–) 80 (–140) µm in diameter (n = 9), wall brown; conidia bacilliform, mostly straight, hyaline, (4–) 6.4 (–9) × ~1 µm (n = 10).
Chemistry: —Thallus UV–, K–, C–, KC–, PD+ golden yellow (psoromic acid); excipular pigment K+ magenta then fading; epithecium pigment dissolving in K. AMYLOIDITY: epithecium I+ blue, K/I+ dark blue; hymenium I+ blue or turning red, K/I+ dark blue or green in high concentrations; ascus protoplasm I–, K/I+ yellow-orange; ascus wall I–, K/I–. A hemiamyloid ring in the tholus of the asci not seen.
Substrate, ecology and distribution: —Found on woody palm frond bases in coastal, subtropical environments in southeastern North America (Florida to North Carolina) and the Caribbean (Bahamas).
Additional specimens examined: — BAHAMAS. Cat Island. On leaf stem of thatch palm [Coccothrinax argentata], 9 July 1903, Anonymous s.n. (NCU). UNITED STATES. Florida: Collier County, off James Scenic Drive 6.5 mi NNW of Ranger Station at Gate 12 along Tram Rd, 26°0.69’N, 81°24.35’W, on palmetto leaf sheath, 02 March 2009, M.P. Nelsen 4010 (F); Orange County, Sanford, on palmetto shafts, May 1908, S. Rapp 31 (FH); North Carolina: Brunswick County, Bald Head Island State Natural Area, behind East Beach in dune swale on palmetto frond base, 20 December 2022, G.B. Perlmutter 4307 (NCU); South Carolina: Horry County, North Myrtle Beach, Hilton Hotel, behind strand on base of palmetto frond, 18 October 2010, G.B. Perlmutter 182-a (NCU).
description: Published as part of Perlmutter, Gary B., Miranda-González, Ricardo & Bungartz, Frank, 2023, Placement of Arthonia rubrocincta in Coniocarpon (lichenized Ascomycota: Arthoniaceae), with an extended range for the species in southeastern North America and the Caribbean, pp. 278-282 in Phytotaxa 589 (3) on pages 279-280, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.589.3.6, http://zenodo.org/record/7777004