Melaspilea Nyl. (1857)

Data Set Maintenance: Data set standard item. Data set author(s): Triebel D. Data set reviewer(s): Triebel D. (98-01-01); revised; to be published after submission.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted or basionymous. Taxonomic rank: genus. Number of known taxa within this rank: 60. Melaspilea. Melaspileaceae W. Watson (1929); of unknown placement (incertae sedis).

Type Information: Type: Melaspilea arthonioides (Fée) Nyl.

Taxonomic Literature: Eriksson O.E., Opera Bot. 60: 1-209 [88] (1981); Hawksworth D.L.,
Lichenologist 14: 83-86 (1982); Hawksworth D.L. in: Purvis O.W.,
Coppins B.J., Hawksworth D.L., James P.W. & Moore D.M. (eds), The
lichen flora of Great Britain and Ireland: 1-710 [367-370] (1992);
Hinteregger E., Biblioth. Lichenol. 55: 1-346 [238-242] (1994); Holm
L. & Holm K., Sydowia 38: 136-145 (1986); Kalb K. & Hafellner
J., Herzogia 9: 45-102 [72] (1992); Keissler K. von, Rabenh. Kryptog.-
Fl. 8: 1-712 [218-221] (1930) - sub Mycomelaspilea; Kantvilas G.
& Coppins B.J., Lichenologist 29: 525-531 (1997) - excl. M.
circumserpens; Kondratyuk S.Y. & Galloway D.J. in: Knoph J.-G.,
Schrüfer K. & Sipman H.J.M., Biblioth. Lichenol. 57: 327-245
[333-336] (1995); Müller E. & Arx J.A. von, Beitr.
Kryptogamenfl. Schweiz 11(2): 1-922 [257-259] (1962); Nograsek A.,
Biblioth. Mycol. 133: 1-271 [146-147] (1990); Nograsek A. &
Matzer M., Nova Hedwigia 53: 445-475 [456-459] (1991); Rehm H.,
Rabenh. Kryptog.-Fl., 2. ed., 1(3): 337-400 [363] (1890); Vouaux L.,
Bull. Trimestriel Soc. Mycol. France 29: 399-494 [471-473] (1913) -
excl. M. asteriscus and M. tenellula.

Biogeography: Checklist records: Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Guianas, Italy, New Zealand, Sonoran Desert, Sweden and Norway, United States and Canada (continental), and Republic of South Africa.

Ecology: Saprobic or biotroph; lichenized or lichenicolous; lignicolous or corticolous; substrate non-calciferous.

Lichen Photobionts: Primary photobiont absent or present; trentepohlioid. Secondary photobiont absent.

Thallus: Indistinct or crustose, not subdivided parts. Upper Surface: Grey, green, yellow, brown, white, brownish yellow, or orange; special structures absent. Lower Surface: Attached by the whole lower surface; special structures absent.

Medulla: Iodine reaction in Lugol's solution negative; not different with or without KOH pre-treatment (euamyloid).

Reproduction Strategy: Only known as sterile, asexually reproducing form or with sexual (and possible asexual) stages. Ascocarps: Apothecioid, orbicular or linear, forming all across the thallus surface, not emerging, becoming adnate to soon sessile, stromatic. Margin: Distinct to prominent; external filaments absent. Exciple: Black, brown, or orange. Periphyses: Absent or present. Epithecium: Apical cells black, green, brown, olive, brownish yellow, or orange. Hymenium: Iodine reaction: Lugol’s negative or Lugol’s positive, not hemiamyloid or hemiamyloid. Interascal Hyphae: Present, scarcely branched to distinctly branched, not or scarcely anastomosed to distinctly anastomosed. Hypothecium: Black, brown, white, or brownish yellow.

Asci: Tholus thickened, not amyloid; dehiscence bitunicate; exoascus not amyloid or euamyloid, not hemiamyloid or hemiamyloid.

Ascospores: c. 4 to c. 8 per ascus, broadly ellipsoid, ellipsoid, oblong-obtuse, or ovoid, 8-32 µm long, 3-16 µm wide, obtuse or aciculate; septa present; transversally septate, 1-3-transversally septate; wall thin or thick, distinctly differentiated into primary and secondary wall, not thickened at the septum, dark brown, middle brown, grey, or hyaline, in Lugol's Solution negative, wall not ornamented or ornamented.

Conidiomata: Absent resp. not observed or present; pycnidial; sessile, formed all accross the thallus surface.

Conidia: Bacilliform.

Secondary Metabolites: Not detected.

(report generated 04.Okt.2007)