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Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History)

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192 BRIAN JOHN COPPINS<br />

Lecidea milliaria f. ternaria is very fragmentary and my first impression was that it was a<br />

diminutive specimen <strong>of</strong> M. lignaria, even though I failed to obtain a positive reaction with PD.<br />

This opinion was changed by my subsequent examination <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Alaskan material which is<br />

identical to <strong>the</strong> holotype in all respects but larger and in better condition.<br />

Several problematical collections from <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> Isles (Shetland Islands and western<br />

Ireland) are provisionally referred to M. ternaria. They were all collected in coastal districts on<br />

hard siliceous rocks and have a ± obsolete thallus (PD— in microscopical preparations), ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />

flattened apo<strong>the</strong>cia, and 0-3-septate spores. The specimen from Fair Isle has pycnidia,<br />

containing mesoconidia5-2-6-8xl-2-l-8/x,m (Fig. 52C). The discovery <strong>of</strong> an arctic species, such<br />

as M. ternaria, in coastal Britain is not without precedent. Examples are Lecanora straminea<br />

found in <strong>the</strong> Shetland Islands, Flannan Islands, and St Kilda, and Bacidia subfuscula found on<br />

North Rona, <strong>the</strong> Fame Islands, and as far south as <strong>the</strong> north coast <strong>of</strong> Norfolk and <strong>the</strong> Scilly Isles.<br />

A better understanding <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> variability in habit and habitat <strong>of</strong> M. ternaria in <strong>the</strong> arctic should<br />

help to clarify <strong>the</strong> taxonomic relationships between <strong>the</strong> arctic and <strong>British</strong> populations. In<br />

addition, relevant material should be sought in coastal Norway.<br />

Habitat and distribution: On mosses and plant debris on <strong>the</strong> ground in coastal regions <strong>of</strong> arctic<br />

Europe and North America (nor<strong>the</strong>rn Alaska). The Alaskan material {Thomson 9188) was<br />

growing with Micarea turfosa and Siphula ceratites. Sou<strong>the</strong>rn populations on rocks may be<br />

represented in <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> Isles (see 'observations' above).<br />

44. Micarea tuberculata (Sommerf.) R. Anderson<br />

(Figs32A,34,51B;Map26)<br />

in Bryologist 11: 46 (1974). - Lecidea tuberculata Sommerf., Suppl. Fl. Lapp.: 160 (1826). Type:<br />

Norway, Nordland, Saltdalen, Fiskevaagmollen, iii 1822, S. C. Sommerfelt (O - lectotype!; UPS -<br />

isolectotype!).<br />

Lecidea latens Taylor in Mackay, Fl. Hib. 2: 259 (1836). Type: Ireland, Wicklow, The Dargle, T. Taylor<br />

(BM- lectotype!).<br />

Lecidea botryocarpa Nyl. in Flora, Jena 48: 603 (1865). Type: USSR, Karelskaya ASSR, Karelia<br />

onegensis, 'ad Onegam, Kapselka, 1863, T. Simming (H-NYL 10766 -holotype!).<br />

Lecidea subinfidula Nyl. in Flora, Jena 52: 295 (1869). Type: Finland, Lapponia enontekiensis, Naimakka,<br />

29 viii 1867, J. P. Norrlin 656 (H - lectotype!; UPS - isolectotype!).<br />

Lecidea tuberculata var. scandinavica Vainio in Acta Soc. Fauna Fl. fenn. 57 (2): 309 (1934). Type: Finland,<br />

Tavastia australis, Lammi, Evo, Lapinkallio, 1866, Norrlin (H-NYL 10767 - lectotype!).<br />

Thallus effuse, minutely scurfy-granular, or sometimes forming an irregularly rimose crust up<br />

to 0-2 mm thick, more rarely forming irregularly verrucose areolae c. 0-06-0-2(-0-3) mm diam;<br />

greenish buff, pale buff or greenish white; thin wefts <strong>of</strong> white prothalline hyphae sometimes<br />

visible. Phycobiont not micareoid; cells ± globose, thin-walled, 5-10(-12) /xm diam, or<br />

irregularly ellipsoid and up to 15x7 /xm.<br />

Apo<strong>the</strong>cia numerous, convex-hemispherical and immarginate from <strong>the</strong> start, <strong>of</strong>ten becoming<br />

± globose or tuberculate, black and <strong>of</strong>ten with bluish tinge, matt, 0-16-0-3(-0-4) mm diam, or<br />

0-24-0-55 mm diam when tuberculate. Hymenium 30-35 jxm tall, dilute green or aeruginose,<br />

K- or + intensifying, HNO3+ purple-red, <strong>of</strong>ten with darker vertical streaks due to <strong>the</strong> presence<br />

<strong>of</strong> stout, pigmented paraphyses. Asci cylindrical-clavate, 25-30x7-9 /xm. Spores oblong-ovoid<br />

or oblong-ellipsoid, 0-1-septate, 5-5-8(-9)xl-5-2-5 /xm. Fflrap/iy:?^^ ra<strong>the</strong>r scanty, <strong>of</strong> two types<br />

(Fig. 34): p.p. evenly distributed, irregularly flexuose, simple or sparingly branched, <strong>of</strong>ten<br />

anastomosing, thin, 1-T5 /xm wide, sometimes widening to 1-7 /xm above, walls hyaline<br />

throughout and without adhering pigment; /?./?. fewer in number, as scattered individuals or in<br />

small fascicles, straight, simple or occasionally forked above, stout, coated ± throughout by<br />

dark greenish pigment and appearing c. 2-3 /u-m wide, apices sometimes ± incrassate and up to 4<br />

/xm wide (including pigment). Hypo<strong>the</strong>cium c. 80-115 /xm tall, aeruginose- or olive-black, K-laeruginose<br />

intensifying; hyphae coated with dense dark green pigment and 2-3 /xm wide<br />

(overall), interwoven but becoming vertically orientated towards <strong>the</strong> hymenium and some

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