Australian Biological Resources Study
| Checklist of the Lichens of Australia and its Island Territories | ||
| Introduction | A–D | E–O | P–R | S–Z | Oceanic Islands | References | ||
| Amphorothecium occultum P.M.McCarthy, Kantvilas & Elix | ||
| Lichenologist 33: 292 (2001). T: N.S.W., 15 km W of Ulladulla, Moreton Natl Park, Pigeon House Mtn, 35°51'S, 150°16'E, alt. c. 690 m, on bryophytes on a vertical, sandstone rock-face in a west-facing, rather moist cleft, 28 November 2000, G.Kantvilas 486/00 & P.M.McCarthy; holo: CANB; iso: HO. | ||
| Thallus overgrowing saxicolous bryophytes, effuse to determinate, continuous, not rimose, pale to medium greyish green, usually with a distinct orange tone (especially when fresh and wet), irregularly uneven, verruculose or subgranular, matt, 20–50 µm thick, ecorticate, UV–. Algal cells solitary or in short filaments, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 6–21 × 5–13 µm; interstitial mycobiont cells thin-walled, rounded or angular in thin section, 2–4 µm wide. Prothallus not apparent. Perithecia moderately numerous, usually elliptical or ovoid, occasionally subglobose or obpyriform, immersed to semi-immersed in the bryophyte mat or almost superficial, then usually tilted or lying on their side, (0.65–)0.8(–0.92) mm tall, (0.5–)0.64(–0.75) mm wide [n = 25]; exposed parts incorporating a thin layer of thallus, pale orange-brown; immersed parts paler or waxy yellowish; surface smooth to minutely uneven. Apex 0.25–0.35 mm diam., whitish to waxy yellowish, at first plane to convex, becoming slightly concave. Ostiole central in the apex, 20–40 µm wide. Excipulum prosoplectenchymatous, 70–130 µm thick near the ascomatal apex, 60–100 µm thick at the sides and base, internally hyaline to pale yellowish (thin section), K+ deep yellow-orange in thin section, appearing K+ reddish in thicker sections; medial tissue composed of thick-walled, irregular, periclinal hyphae with cells 6–12 × 4–6 µm; innermost 5–10 layers composed of narrower, ± uniform, thin-walled cells 10–15 × 2–4 µm; cells of the latter type also occupying most of the perithecial apex, where they form a vertical, palisade-like tissue. Centrum elliptical or obpyriform, 0.25–0.6 mm wide, appearing pale orange when perithecium is cut (dissecting microscope). Hymenial gel not containing granules. Subhymenium plane to strongly convex, 30–60 µm deep, more or less colourless. Paraphyses 1.5–3 µm thick; cells containing an orange, oily(?) substance; apices not swollen. Periphyses 20–40(–50) × 1.5–2 µm, in a sharply delimited, subapical zone 60–100 µm deep. Asci at first broadly clavate, becoming elongate-clavate to broadly cylindrical, 260–475 × 60–75 µm, tapering gradually towards a short, thick stalk; ascoplasma Lugols I+ deep orange to red-brown, with or without pretreatment with KOH; ascus wall uniformly 2–3(–4) µm thick at all stages of development, Lugols I–; apex rounded; dehiscence not observed. Ascospores hyaline, narrowly to broadly fusiform, occasionally oblong-fusiform, usually straight, occasionally slightly curved or faintly sigmoidal, ± biseriate in the ascus, with (13–)17(–21) transverse septa (less than 5% of ascospores with 1 or 2 longitudinal or diagonal septa among the medial cells), (122–)170(–230) × (26–)34(–42) µm [n = 78]; cells densely guttulate with an orange, oily substance that is visible as large globules when cells are ruptured in microscopic preparations; septa slightly constricted; ascospore wall 2–3(–4) µm thick; perispore sharply defined, especially thick (to 20 µm) in immature ascospores, (3–)6–10(–14) µm thick at maturity [perispore not included in ascospore dimensions]. Conidiomata not seen. CHEMISTRY: HPLC indicated that the methanol extracts of the thallus of this species contained three compounds, two of which appear to be unique [i.e. amphorothecic acid A (major) and amphorothecic acid B (minor)], as well as the widely distributed ß-orcinol depside, atranorin (minor). | ||
| Known only from the type locality, near the coastal margin of the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales. | ||
| McCarthy et al. (2001a) | ||
| Checklist Index |
| Introduction | A–D | E–O | P–R | S–Z | Oceanic Islands | References |
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