Two novel species of arctic-alpine lichen-forming fungi (Ascomycota, Megasporaceae) from the Deosai Plains, Pakistan

Abstract

Members of the lichen-forming fungal genus Oxneriaria are known to occur in cold polar and high altitudinal environments. Two new species, Oxneriariacrittendenii and O.deosaiensis, are now described from the high altitude Deosai Plains, Pakistan, based on phenotypic, multigene phylogenetic and chemical evidence. Phenotypically, O.crittendenii is characterised by orbicular light-brown thalli 1.5-5 cm across, spot tests (K, C, KC) negative, apothecia pruinose, hymenium initially blue then dark orange in response to Lugol's solution. Oxneriariadeosaiensis is characterised by irregular areolate grey thalli 1.5-2 cm across, K test (light brown), KC test (dark brown), apothecia epruinose, hymenium initially blue then dark blue in response to Lugol's solution. Both species share the same characters of thalli with black margins and polarilocular ascospores. The closest previously reported species, O.pruinosa, differs from O.crittendenii and O.deosaiensis in having non-lobate margins, thin thalline exciple (45-80 μm thick), short asci (55-80 × 25-42 μm) and K positive (yellow) and KC negative tests and divergent DNA sequence in the ITS, LSU and mtSSU regions. The newly-described Oxneriaria species add to growing evidence of the Deosai Plains as a region of important arctic-alpine biodiversity.

Keywords: Aspicilia; Gilgit-Baltistan; Himalaya; Karakorum; Maximum Likelihood; Pertusariales; Skardu.