Occurrence of a rare, crustose lichen, Ophioparma ventosa (Ophioparmaceae, lichenized Ascomycota), from alpine regions of Arunachal Pradesh, India more

Feddes Repertorium 121 (2010) 5 – 6, 184 – 188 1 DOI: 10.1002/fedr.201000029 Weinheim, December 2011 Lichenology laboratory, National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR), Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow (UP) –226001, India 2 Department of Botany Pt. L.M.S. Government Post Graduate College, Rishikesh (Dehradun), Uttarakhand, Pin-249201 ROSHNI KHARE1, 2; HIMANSHU RAI1, 2; DALIP KUMAR UPRETI1; URVASHI DUBEY1 & R. K. GUPTA2 Occurrence of rare, crustose lichen, Ophioparma ventosa (Ophioparmaceae, lichenized Ascomycota), from alpine regions of Arunachal Pradesh, India With 2 Figures and 1 Map Keywords: Arunachal Pradesh, Himalaya, India, O. ventosa, Ophioparmaceae Abstract Ophioparma ventosa (L.) Norman, belonging to family Ophioparmaceae, a rare lichen species has been recorded for the first time from north east alpine Himalaya, India after the gap of more than hundred years, when it was first recorded by Leighton from Sikkim in the year 1879. This saxicolous species is found growing together with other saxicolous lichens and mosses. This species was recorded previously from alpine regions of Eastern Nepal. Introduction During a field trip to the Sela pass (27°30′ 12.03″ N and 92°06′15.98″ E) region of West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh, the authors discovered a population of Ophioparma ventosa (L.) NORMAN, at an altitude of 4176 m from above sea level. The species was found growing on exposed rock surface in open steep alpine meadows with bushy Berberis and Rhododendron species. The other lichen taxa growing with the species are Acarospora spp., Rhizocarpon geographicum (L.) DC., Thamnolia vermicularis (Sw.) Ach. ex Schaer., Umbilicaria indica Frey and mosses (Fig. 1 A). The genus Haematomma A. MASSAL was proposed originally to house two species H. vulgare A. MASSAL & H. ventosum (L.) MASSAL (MASSALONGO 1852). Haematomma, currently as collective genus consisting of species with some morphological similarities which ought to be segregated (ROGERS & BARTLETT 1986). According to the ROGERS & HAFELLNER (1988) the H. puniceum group of Haematomma is closely related to H. ochroleucum group and retained in this genus while the ventosum group (because of its distinctive ascus structure) is segregated into its own genus Ophioparma Norman placed in a new family Ophioparmaceae R.W. ROGERS & HAFELLNER. The genus Ophioparma contains 9 species worldwide and is characterized by crustose, rimose areolate thallus with coccoid green algal photobiont, dark blood red sessile apothecia, ascus with I + blue tholus without an ocular chamber and axial plug, 8 spored asci and hyaline, simple to multiseptate ascospores. Generally grows on well-lit, hard siliceous rocks, wood and bark. Its common distribution is in circumpolar and high montane or alpine extending southwards to central Mexico and Japan, and then temperate South America (MAY, 1997, 1998). Earlier this genus was represented by two saxicolous species [O. ventosa (L.) NORMAN and O. lapponica (Räsänen) HAFELLNER & R.W. ROGERS] only but later on six corticolous species were also included (STAIGER & KALB 1995; PRINTZEN & RAMBOLD 1996; © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim 0014-8962/10/5-612-0184 R. KHARE et al.: Rare crustose lichen from North East India 185 Fig. 1 Ophioparma ventosa (LWG) a –– Habitus and other lichens growing together with this species (Ac Acarospora spp., Rz Rhizocarpon geographicum, Th Thamnolia vermicularis, Um Umbilicaria indica). Scale: 5 cm; b –– Thallus with apothecial discs (ap). Scale: 1 cm OBERMAYER 1997; ZEDDA & SIPMAN 2001; MARTÍNEZ & ARAGÓN 2003) in the genus. Both the saxicolous species of Ophioparma are distributed in the boreal and temperate regions of Europe and North America and occur also in Asia (MAY 1997, 1998) The lichen genera Haematomma, Ophioparma and Loxospora A. MASSAL are morphologically similar in apothecial disc, colour and condition of thallus (STAIGER & KALB 1995). Haematomma differs from Ophioparma in having both an axial mass and a distinct ocular chamber in ascus, absence of haemoventosin a red pigment in hymenium (K–), thin proper exciple, thick thalline margin and the thin paraphyses, individually covered with a gelatinous layer, highly branched and anastomosed. The species of Haematomma rarely grows on rock and are characterized by atranorin, sphaerophorin, or placodialic acid as major chemical constituents (MAY 1998). Loxospora differs with Ophioparma by having a wide axial mass in ascus, absence of haemoventosin in hymenium (K+ yellow) and paraphyses are more frequently anastomosed, but not stuck together with hymenial gelatin and presence of thamnolic acid as the main constituent, whereas only one species of Ophioparma sometimes contains this compound (STAIGER & KALB 1995). Furthermore, the two genera Loxospora and Ophioparma, according to recent molecular study placed in two different families Sarrameanaceae HAFELLNER and Ophioparmaceae respectively (LUMBSCH et al. 2008). Materials and methods The specimens were examined morphologically with LabomedTM stereomicroscope. Sections of thalli and apothecia were mounted in distilled water and Lactophenol Cotton Blue solution for anatomical studies. Photographs were taken by using an optical compound microscope Leica DM 500 and Nikon Photo camera. Samples were identified chemically with the help of spot tests, UV light and standardized © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim www.feddes-journal.com 186 Feddes Repert., Weinheim 121 (2010) 5 – 6 Fig. 2 Ophioparma ventosa (LWG) a –– Section of apothecia showing asci with spirally arranged ascospores. Scale: 20 µm. b –– Ascospores. Scale: 20 µm Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC) carried out by using solvent system A (toluene/dioxane/acetic acid: 180 : 45 : 5) (ELIX & ERNST-RUSSEL 1993, Orange et al. 2001). The specimens are preserved in the herbarium of National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow (LWG). Taxonomic part Ophioparma ventosa (L.) Norman Nyt Mag. Natur. 7: 231 (1853) B a s i o n y m : Lichen ventosus L., Sp. pl. 2: 1141 (1753). S y n o n y m s : Parmelia ventosa (L.) Ach., Methodus qua omnes detectos Lichenes, 1803, Lecanora ventosa (L.) Ach., Lich. Univ.: 1 – 696, 1810, Haematomma ventosum (L.) A. Mass., Ric. auton. lich. cost. (Verona): 33, Fig. 54, 1852 Figs. 1(A – B), 2(A – B) Thallus crustose, in large patches of about 10 cm, uneven, areolate, verrucose, submerged yellow green, rimose-areolate, generally shiny in appearance, microsquamulose, or cracked within. Photobiont trebouxoid green alga. Apothecia, 0.5 – 2.0 mm diam., frequent, scattered or in small adjoining groups, ± immersed to sessile, rounded or irregular, thalline exciple not well developed, extending beneath the apothecium, rugose; true exciple with in the level of the disc, concolorous with the disc; disc flat or slightly convex, not glossy, blood red; hymenium 50– 65 µm tall, strongly agglutinated; epihymenium deep red, encrusted with haemoventosin crystals; hymenium hyaline below to red above; epithecium K+ indigo blue turning to patchily violet-blue; hymenium, hypothecium and true exciple K+ blue becoming magenta-pink. Paraphyses simple, infrequent, apices somewhat swollen. Asci 50– 65 µm, tholus of Ophioparma-type (well developed amyloid structure in a continuous dome over the apical region without an ocular chamber or axial mass), ovate, 8-spored. Ascospores tapered asymmetrically, with one end blunt and other end narrowly spatulate (with tail). fusiform 35 –40 × 4 – 5 µm, arranged spirally in ascus, indistinctly 3 – 7-septate, curved. Pycnidia not seen. Chemistry: Hymenial pigment © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim www.feddes-journal.com R. KHARE et al.: Rare crustose lichen from North East India 187 Map 1 A –– Distribution of Ophioparma ventosa in the study area, B –– Distribution map of Ophioparma ventosa in the Indian subcontinent (haemoventosin) deep orange in section which is acetone soluble, K+ strong blue, slowly becoming strong purple. Spot tests: cortex and medulla K+ yellow, C–, Pd–. Medulla UV+ whitish. Divaricatic and usnic acids were detected by TLC. Hymenial pigment (haemoventosin) deep orange in section, K+ strong blue, slowly becoming strong purple. The chemical substances of this species have been identified and discussed by SOLBERG (1957), THOMSON (1968, North American material), HAWKSWORTH (1970, British Isles), LEUCKERT & MEINEL (1981), KALB & STAIGER (1995) and SKULT (1997). The chemistry of observed sample was found in accordance with SKULT (1997). Ecology and distribution: The species grows on rocks in arctic, subarctic-boreal and alpine regions in North America (MAY 1998). In India, the species is reported from alpine rocky habitat of Arunachal Pradesh (Map 1A). The collection frequency profile of the species spanning in time and locality distribution, from SIKKIM by LEIGHTON (1879) to NEPAL BY AWASTHI (1963) then in Bhutan by APTROOT & FEIZEN (2002) and most recent in our collection from the border of BHUTAN & TIBET in area of Sela Pass from Arunachal Pradesh, suggests the rare and geographically restricted status of the species in the Indian subcontinent (Map 1B). Specimen examined: India, Arunachal Pradesh, West Kameng district, Sela Pass, 13700 ft, on rock, 12. Nov. 2008, D. K. UPRETI, U. DU- R. KHARE and G. K. MISHRA, 08-009388 (LWG) Remarks: The species O. ventosa is morphologically a homogenous taxon (Skult, 1997). It comprise of three major chemotypes: I (thamnolic, divaricatic and usnic acids), II (hypothamnolic, divaricatic and usnic acids) and III (divaricatic and usnic acids). Chemotype III is divided into two morphotypes on the basis of spore anatomy – A, with multiseptate spores and B, with short, non septate or 1-septate spore. Our specimen shows similarity to chemotype III morphotype A. In morphology of thallus, red apothecial disc and saxicolous habitat O. ventosa, shows close resemblance with Haematomma fenzlianum A. MASSAL. However, later species differs in having true exciple and asci Lecanora-type, thin richly branched, anastomosed paraphyses and a varied chemistry. Ophioparma lapponica (Räsänen) Hafellner & R. W. ROGERS, another arcticalpine, saxicolous species shows close resemblance to O. ventosa, but differs in characters including K-cortex and K- and P-medulla, having ellipsoid to subfusiform, non septate to 1-septate, smaller spores measuring (12– 21 × 3–5 µm). Acknowledgement The authors are thankful to the Director, National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow for providing necessary lab facilities to work and Supra Institutional Project 0005 for financial support. BEY, © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim www.feddes-journal.com 188 Conflict of interest statement by authors The authors of this manuscript: Roshni Khare, Himanshu Rai, Dalip Kumar Upreti, Urvashi Dubey, Rajan Kumar Gupta hereby declare that the research work presented in this paper is resultant of the project (Ref No: SIP 0005) funded by NBRI-CSIR, which is accordingly mentioned in acknowledgement. The work presented here doesn’t involve any commercial conflict of interest. Further none of the authors of the above manuscript has declared any conflict of interest within the last three years which may arise from being named as an author on the manuscript. Feddes Repert., Weinheim 121 (2010) 5 – 6 MAY, P. F. 1998. Lichen flora of eastern North America: the genus Ophioparma Norman. In: GLENN, M. G.; HARRIS, R. C.; DIRIG, R. & COLE, M.S. (eds.), Lichenographia Thomsoniana: North American Lichenology in Honor of JOHN, W. Thomson. Mycotaxon Ltd., Ithaca, New York, pp. 77 – 88. OBERMAYER, W. 1997. 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Address of corresponding author: Dr. Dalip Kumar U p r e t i , Lichenology laboratory, National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR), Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh-226001, India E-mail: upretidk@rediffmail.com Tel: 91-0522-2297850-51 Fax: 91-0522-2205836 Manuscript accepted: July 20th, 2011. © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim www.feddes-journal.com