100 Lichens from Thailand: a tutorial for students

This is the printable version of an interactive identification tool for 100 species of lichens commonly occurring in Thailand, prepared on the occasion of a workshop held in Bangkok in June 2017. Of course, this guide cannot be used to identify all lichens found in the Country, but it may be useful as a tutorial in workshops and courses for students and beginners, who will be asked to identify only the species which are included in the key. In this way, they will learn the basic terminology, and will make the first steps in lichen identification. The dichotomous key is also available in several stand-alone versions: printable, CD-Rom, and for mobile devices via the free app KeyToNature (Android and iOS). The key has been created using program FRIDA at the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Trieste (Italy), and will be further tested and implemented at the Department of Biology of the Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, to encompass a broader set of species

Seasonal Water Relations and Leaf Temperature in a Deciduous Dipterocarp Forest in Northeastern Thailand

Deciduous dipterocarp forests across mainland Southeast Asia are dominated by two families: the Dipterocarpaceae and Fabaceae. Monsoon conditions produce strong seasonal climates with a hot dry season of 5–7 months extending from late November or early December through April or early May. Seasonal measurements of stomatal conductance and plant water potential found important differences between members of the two families. Despite their long dry season, Shorea siamensis and S. obtusa (Dipterocarpaceae) showed little significant patterns of seasonal change in xylem water potentials, with midday potentials never dropping below −1.3 MPa. These species present a classic example of isohydric strategies of adaptation where stomatal regulation maintains a relatively stable minimum water potential over the course of the year. However, maximum rates of stomatal conductance dropped sharply in the late dry season as the leaves heated in full sun without significant transpirational cooling, reaching as high as 44–45 °C, making them potentially sensitive to global increases in extreme temperature. The woody legumes Xylia kerrii and Dalbergia oliveri present different patterns of seasonal water relations and leaf response to high temperatures. The legumes exhibit anisohydric behavior where water potential decreases over the dry season as evaporative demand increases. Dry season midday water potentials dropped from high wet season levels to −2.4 to −3.2 MPa, moderately lowering maximum stomatal conductance. The relatively small leaflets of these legumes responded to the high temperatures of the late dry season by temporarily wilting, reducing their exposure to solar radiation and taking advantage of convective cooling. Large leaf size of dipterocarps in this community may not be an adaptive trait but rather an ancestral condition compensated for with ecophysiological adaptations

New Coenogonium species (Ostropales: Coenogoniaceae) from Thailand, new reports and a revised key to the species occurring in the country

A revision of 159 Coenogonium collections from Thailand preserved in RAMK, herb. K. Kalb and herb. K. & J. Kalb is presented. 18 species (including 1 doubtful) could be delimited, three of which are described as new to science, namely C. convexum which differs from the similar C. nepalense by smaller and convex apothecia already at a very early stage of development, C. subborinquense which has larger apothecia (almost double the size) than the similar C. borinquense and C. verrucimarginatum which differs from C. coronatum by having denticulate-verrucose margins of the apothecia. Coenogonium barbatum, C. epiphyllum, C. frederici, C. leprieurii and C. queenslandicum are new additions to the Thai lichen biota. C. disciforme is synonymized with C. isidiiferum. The peculiar vegetative propagules in this species, hitherto named isidia, are described as thallodiscs. Photographs showing the habitus of the species as well as characteristic structures are given and a dichotomous key for the identification of all species is provided

New species and new records in the lichen family Parmeliaceae (Ascomycotina) from Thailand

The following new lichen species are described from Thailand, Everniastrum scabridum Elix & Pooprang, Hypotrachyna chlorobarbatica Elix & Pooprang, Hypotrachyna ramkhamhaengiana Elix & Pooprang, Parmotrema rubromarginatum Elix & Pooprang and Parmotrema thailandicum Elix & Pooprang. In addition, the new combination Parmelinella chozoubae (Singh & Sinha) Elix & Pooprang is made and 29 species of Parmeliaceae are reported for the first time for Thailand

Lichens: from genome to ecosystems in a changing world

N/

Coenogonium pineti Lucking & Lumbsch 2004

Coenogonium pineti (Schrad. ex Ach.) Lücking & Lumbsch A careful comparison of the specimen cited below and European material of this cosmopolitan species revealed them to be identical. It is probably not rare in Thailand, but due to its very small, pale apothecia it is easily overlooked. Coenogonium pineti is a new addition to the Thai lichen biota. Specimens examined:— THAILAND. Trat Province: Laem Ngob District; Black sand beach near Tumbol Laem Ngob, in an old ± disturbed mangrove forest with dominant Rhizophora apiculata, Rh. mucronata, Lumnitzera racemosa and Avicennia marina, ± 3 m, 12°10’11’’ N, 102°24’27’’ E, 25 February 2011, K. Kalb & P. Mongkolsuk (hb. Kalb 38905).Published as part of Kalb, Klaus, Buaruang, Kawinnat, Mongkolsuk, Pachara & Boonpragob, Kansri, 2012, New or otherwise interesting Lichens. VI, including a lichenicolous fungus, pp. 35-47 in Phytotaxa 42 on page 38, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.42.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/489482

Cryptothecia eungellae G. Thor

Cryptothecia eungellae G. Thor This species was originally described by Thor (1997) from Australia. It is characterized by its firmly attached, shiny thallus which reacts C+ red and the chemistry, i.e. gyrophoric and norstictic acids, both as major substances in our material. Cryptothecia eungellae is a new addition to the Thai lichen biota and a new record for the Northern Hemisphere. Specimen examined:— THAILAND. Trat Province: Muang District, near Ban Nam Chieo, in a ± disturbed mangrove forest on Rhizophora apiculata, ± 3 m, 12°10’25’’ N, 102°28’37’’ E, 25 February 2011, K. Kalb & P. Mongkolsuk (hb. K. Kalb 38859).Published as part of Kalb, Klaus, Buaruang, Kawinnat, Mongkolsuk, Pachara & Boonpragob, Kansri, 2012, New or otherwise interesting Lichens. VI, including a lichenicolous fungus, pp. 35-47 in Phytotaxa 42 on page 40, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.42.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/489482

Eschatogonia dissecta Timdal & R. Sant.

Eschatogonia dissecta Timdal & R. Sant. This lichen was recently described by Timdal and reported from Peru, French Guiana and Venezuela (Timdal 2008). The material cited below matches the description by Timdal (2008) in all respects. We found homosekikaic acid and hyperhomosekikaic acid as major substances and sekikaic acid as a trace substance (TLC). The latter was not mentioned by Timdal. Eschatogonia dissecta is a new addition to the Brazilian lichen biota. Specimen examined:— BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: Serra dos Coroados; Chapada dos Guimarães, trail down to the waterfall ‘ Véu de Noiva’ of Rio Coxipó, in a dark tropical rainforest, 575 m, 15°30’ S, 55°40’ W, 7 July 1980, K. Kalb & M. Marcelli (hb. Kalb 33526).Published as part of Kalb, Klaus, Buaruang, Kawinnat, Mongkolsuk, Pachara & Boonpragob, Kansri, 2012, New or otherwise interesting Lichens. VI, including a lichenicolous fungus, pp. 35-47 in Phytotaxa 42 on page 41, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.42.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/489482

Bactrospora myriadea Egea & Torrente 1993

Bactrospora myriadea (Fée) Egea & Torrente In the Paleotropics Bactrospora myriadea was previously known from India (Egea & Torrente 1993), China, the Seychelles and Singapore (Aptroot & Sipman 2001, Sipman 2010). It is a new addition to the Thai lichen biota. Specimen examined:— THAILAND. Rayong Province: Muang District; Pagoda Klang Nam near Paknam, in an old but very polluted mangrove forest on Rhizophora apiculata, ± 5m, 12°40’06’’ N, 101°14’27’’ E, 27 February 2011, K. Kalb & P. Mongkolsuk, det. A. Aptroot (hb. Kalb 38821).Published as part of Kalb, Klaus, Buaruang, Kawinnat, Mongkolsuk, Pachara & Boonpragob, Kansri, 2012, New or otherwise interesting Lichens. VI, including a lichenicolous fungus, pp. 35-47 in Phytotaxa 42 on page 36, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.42.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/489482

Melaspilea lekae Brackel & Kalb 2012, sp. nov.

Melaspilea lekae Brackel & Kalb sp. nov. (Fig. 2J) Mycobank MB 564185 Fungus lichenicola sicut Melaspilea diplasiospora (Nyl.) Müll. Arg., sed ascosporis minoribus et Sarcographa labyrinthica (Ach.) Müll. Arg. hospite differt. Etymology:—The new lichenicolous fungus is named in honour of Prof. Leka Manoch in recognition of her numerous contributions to Thai mycology. Type:— THAILAND. Trat Province: Muang District, near Ban Nam Chieo, in a ± disturbed mangrove forest on Sarcographa labyrinthica, ± 3 m, 12°10’25’’ N, 102°28’37’’ E, 25 February 2011, K. Kalb & P. Mongkolsuk (holotype RAMK, isotype hb. Kalb 38860). Ascomata lichenicolous on thallus and ascomata of Sarcographa labyrinthica, 0.2–0.4 × 0.1–0.2 mm, lirellate to ellipsoid, occasionally branched, solitary or irregularly aggregated, superficial with an exposed, reddish brown disc, leaving a black outline when eroded. Exciple laterally carbonized, 10–18 µm thick, ± absent below the hymenium. Hymenium colourless, ca. 60 µm high, hypothecium colourless to brownish, 8–13 µm high, both KOH-, I-, K/I-. Paraphyses septate, 2–3 µm wide, not or only sparsely branched with obovate terminal cells, 4–5 µm wide, these (or the two uppermost cells) with a granular brown pigment, K–. Asci clavate, ca. 35–40 × 13–20 µm, 4–8-spored, KOH-, I-, K/I-. Ascospores 1-septate, sole-shaped, distictly constricted at the septum, finely verruculose, pale to medium brown, 14–17 × 7–8 µm. Notes:—Previously only four Melaspilea species were known to grow on Graphidaceae, namely M. diplasiospora on Graphis elegans (Borrer ex Sm.) Ach., M. epigena Müll. Arg. on Reimnitzia santensis (Tuck.) Kalb, M. epigraphella (Nyl.) Müll. Arg. on Acanthothecis consocians (Nyl.) Staiger & Kalb and M. lentiginosa (Lyell ex Leight.) Müll. Arg. on Phaeographis dendritica (Ach.) Müll. Arg. All differ in the host and especially the ascospore dimensions. While the ascospores of M. diplasiospora are considerably larger (19.5–32 × 9.5–16 µ m) than those of M. lekae, they are smaller in M. epigena (10–12 × 5 µ m), M. epigraphella (9–11 × 3.5–4.5 µm) and M. lentiginosa 10–13.5 (–16) × 5–7.5 µm.Published as part of Kalb, Klaus, Buaruang, Kawinnat, Mongkolsuk, Pachara & Boonpragob, Kansri, 2012, New or otherwise interesting Lichens. VI, including a lichenicolous fungus, pp. 35-47 in Phytotaxa 42 on pages 44-45, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.42.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/489482