PART 1

THELENELLA Nyl.
Mém. Soc. Sci. Nat. Cherbourg 3: 193. 1855. Type. T. modesta (Nyl.) Nyl.
Microglaena Körber, Syst. Lich. German. 388. 1855. Type. M. wallrothiana Körber (= Thelenella modesta
(Nyl.) Trevisan).
Luykenia Trevisan, Conspect. Verruc. 19. 1860. Type. L. modesta (Nyl.) Trevisan
Aspidothelium Vainio, Étud. class. lich. Brésil 2: 189. 1890. Type. A. cinerascens Vainio.
Aspidopyrenium Vainio, Étud. class. lich. Brésil 2: 190. 1890. Type. A. insigne Vainio (= Aspidothelium
fugiens (Müll. Arg.) R. Sant. fide Santesson, 1952).
Secolegiella (Müll. Arg.) Müll. Arg., Hedwigia 34: 205. 1896. Type. Lecania fugiens Müll. Arg.
Patellonectria Spegazzini, Bol. Acad. Ci. Córdoba 23: 477. 1919. Type. P. puiggari Spegazzini (=
Aspidothelium cinerascens Vainio fide Santesson, 1952).
Porinopsis Malme, Ark. Bot. 22A(6): 3. 1928. Type. P. geminipara Malme
Thelenella and Aspidothelium are identical in all important characters as noted above, oddly staining
ascus, fleshy ascoma with periphysoids, chlorococcalean photobiont, etc. Aspidothelium may have ascomata
ornamented with a apical disk, warts or setae but they may also be smooth as in Thelenella. Also, it would not
seem to take much of an expansion to go from the thick apical tissue present in most Thelenella ascomata to
achieve apical warts or an apical disk. Some taxa of Aspidothelium have mainly transversely septate spores
but Santesson (1952) noted that they may have one-few longitudinal septa. Both commonly have the area
around the ostiole tinted greenish. Both often have much of the centrum taken up with spent asci. Both can
be foliicolous or corticolous although Aspidothelium is not known from rock. Overall, I feel the similarities are
fundamental, the differences unimportant and therefore synonymize them.
KEY TO NORTH AMERICAN TAXA
(Some data taken from Mayrhofer, 1987)
1. Ascospores colorless ................................................................................................................................ 2
2. Growing on bark or leaves .................................................................................................................... 3
3. Growing on bark ................................................................................................................................ 4
4. Ascospores muriform .................................................................................................................... 5
5. Ascospores basically 8/ascus ................................................................................................... 6
6. Ascospores 11-17 µm wide................................................................................................... 7
7. Asci obclavate to pyriform, broadest toward the base;
ascospores 30-38 × 13-15 µm, 7-9 × 2-4-septate;
Dade and Seminole counties ............................................................T. rappii R. C. Harris
7. Asci cylindrical or broadest in middle; ascospores 25-42 × 11-17 µm,
7-9 × 2-3-septate; Europe, Califormia, Minnesota, Australia ..............................................
........................................................................................................[T. modesta (Nyl.) Nyl.]
6. Ascospores 7.5-11 µm wide.................................................................................................. 8
8. Ascospores 7-11 × 1(-2)-septate, 24-34 × 7.5-10 µm;
Michigan, Minnesota ................................................... [T. pertusariella (Nyl.) Vainio s. lat.]
8. Ascospores 6-7 × 1-2-septate, 20-30 × 7-11 µm;
California, Australia ..........................................[T. sychnogonioides (Zahlbr.) R. C. Harris]
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