Anisomeridium anisolobum
Synonyms
Arthopyrenia anisoloba, Ditremis anisoloba
Family
Monoblastiaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
Not Evaluated
Distribution
North Island: Auckland.
Widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics, but in New Zealand has so far only been collected from one site (Dingle Dell Reserve) in Auckland (Marshall et al. 2022).
Habitat
So far has only been found growing on nikau (Rhopalostylis sapida H.Wendl. & Drude) in Dingle Dell Reserve, Auckland an urban indigenous forest enhanced by deliberate plantings (Marshall et al. 2022).
Detailed description
Copied from Marshall et al. (2022):
Thallus whitish to grey, UV–, smooth-varnished, possibly appearing white-maculate (original description). Ascomata perithecioid, black, matt, mostly solitary or occasionally aggregated, 0.25– 0.5 mm in diameter, ostiole apical or slightly off-centre and often inconspicuous, dimidiate (outer wall only covering upper half); paraphyses thread-like, entangled, connected and branched, asci clavate, c. 50–75 × 18– 25 μm, with a thick wall, spores 8 per ascus, irregularly uniseriate, smooth, straight, cuneiform-obovoid, 1-septate with the lower cell smaller and the upper one larger, with rounded ends, often constricted at septum (12.5–)15–20 × 7.5–10 μm.
Chemistry: Thallus K–, C–, KC–, PD–, UV–, TLC, no lichen products detected.
Similar taxa
Marshall et al. (2022) stated “Anisomeridium anisolobum differs from A. subatomarium (C.Knight) R.C.Harris by having larger perithecia that are not immersed in the substratum (0.2 mm for A. subatomarium whereas the perithecia varied from 0.25 to 0.5 mm in the material examined). It differs from A. biforme (Borrer) R.C.Harris as its spores have a distinctly sub-median septum (Fig. 3). Spores are uniseriate to irregularly arranged in the ascus, with distinctly rounded ends, lacking the apical ‘complex dimple’ (Galloway, 2007) of Acrocordia gemmata (Ach.) A.Massal. Anisomeridium anisolobum also differs from A. subbiforme (C.Knight) R.C.Harris, as the spores are a different shape and are not biseriate in the ascus as suggested by Galloway (2007).
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (13 September 2022). Information in the Distribution, Habitat, Features, and Similar taxa sections copied from Marshall et al. (2022).
References and further reading
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 pp.
Marshall A.J., Blanchon D.J., Aptroot A., Lücking R., de Lange P.J. 2022: Five new additions to the lichenized mycobiota of the Aotearoa / New Zealand archipelago. Ukrainian Botanical Journal 79(3): 130-141.