First records of Lecanora semipallida (lichenized fungi) from Romania

Lecanora semipallida is a saxicolous member of L. dispersa-group. The first localities of the species in Romania come from Southern carpathians (Bucegi Mts.) and Eastern carpathians (Rodnei Mts.). L. semipallida is supposed to be a common lichen species in Europe. a species of similar appearance is L. dispersa s.str. a key character distinguishing L. semipallida is the presence of epithecial granules that are soluble in KOH. The presence of vinetorin, often causing yellowish colour of apothecia and resulting in positive spot tests and uV reactions of the apothecial disc, is also diagnostic. apart from Romania, the species is also reported from austria, Bulgaria, croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, and ukraine.

is consistent, however, in regard to anatomy (properties of epithecial granules) and chemistry (vinetorin always present).
Lecanora semipallida is now one of the most widely distributed saxicolous species of the group, apart from L. dispersa (Pers.) Sommerf. s.str. (Śliwa 2007a, b). Most recently it has been recognized in some extra collections available at the lichen herbarium of the w. Szafer institute of Botany, Polish academy of Sciences in Kraków. The data are presented here.

MaTERiaL and METHOdS
The study is based on recent lichen collection from Romania (by Karina wilk, anna and Michał Ronikier) that is housed at the KRaM-L herbarium. Some additional collections from central Europe and Balkan Peninsula available in the herbarium as well as reference material from SOMF and nat. Hist. Mus. were also examined for comparison.
For anatomical investigations, free-hand sections were made with a razor blade and mounted in water. Tissue measurements were made in water, and ascospore in 25% KOH (K). Granulation of tissues was observed in polarized light. The solubility of granules or/and crystals was tested with ca 25% KOH (K) and 65% nitric acid (n). chemical examination included colour reactions, response to ultraviolet light (uV) and thin-layer chromatography (TLc). Spot test reactions of thalli, apothecial margins and discs were made with KOH [20-30% aqueous solution] (K), sodium hypochlorite [commercial laundry bleach] (c) and paraphenylenediamine [solution in 95% ethyl alcohol] (Pd). The TLc analyses was performed in solvent system a or c (methods followed Orange et al. 2001).
Forms apothecia that occurr singly, or are clustered in groups, sessile, or constricted at the base to almost raised, flat when mature or flexuose, 0.4-1.3(-1.4) mm diam. Apothecial disc is plane, smooth, yellow, pale greenish yellow, or yelloworange to pale brown, epruinose, or slightly pruinose. Thalline margin is prominent or level with the disc, often considerably thick, smooth or rough, entire or distinctly crenate, often with bluish pigment. Thallus is immersed within the substratum, and not apparent, or crustose, indistinct to clearly visible. Occasionally pycnidia are produced on a surface of thr thallus. Pycnidia are black, inconspicuous; conidia falcate -consistently filiform and characteristically curved, 10-17(-18) × 1 μm.
Amphithecium is thick, 70-170(-270) μm, corticate; algae fill the area below the cortex. The cortex is usually distinctly delimited, uniform, or slightly thicker at the base than at the sides, 30-50 μm thick laterally and 50-70 μm thick at the base. it is composed of adglutinated hyphae or prosoplectenchymatous, obscured by granules occasionally interfering into the area below the cortex (prominent in polarized light, insoluble in K, soluble in n). Parathecium is usually distinct, prosoplectenchymatous, 10-30 μm wide. Epithecium is hyaline or shades of yellow or brown, granular (prominent in polarized light). Granules are superficial and between paraphyses tips, fine to coarse, soluble in K and insoluble in n. Sometimes epipsamma is present (insoluble in K, soluble in n). Hymenium is hyaline, 50-90 μm high with indistinct subhymenium. Hypothecium is also hyaline or distinctly yellow to orange (becoming more intense in K). it is composed of prosoplectenchyma and clear, without granules, confluent with parathecium and similar in colour, 50-160 μm high. Paraphyses are simple or dichotomously branched at tips, slender or thickened, not expanded, or slightly expanded apically, usually not pigmented and free in K. Asci are clavate to broadly clavate, 4-8-spored. ascospores are hyaline, simple, broadly ellipsoid 7.5-13 × 4.5-7.5 μm.
in Romania L. semipallida was found on natural, calcium containing rocks and on concrete. in other parts of its range it has been found on calcareous rocks (limestone, lime-rich sandstone) as well as on concrete or overgrowing other lichens, e.g. Aspicilia calcarea (L.) Mudd, Caloplaca spp., Lecanora spp., Physcia spp., Phaeophyscia nigricans (Flörke) Moberg, Verrucaria spp.; occasionally also on bark, bryophytes and plant debris, also on metal.
Lecanora semipallida is a widespread species in Europe and north america. it occurs in the arctic, alpine to boreal and temperate region with main distribution in temperate region. The species was also noted from asia, australia and new Zealand (Śliwa 2007a, b).
The most similar and likely to be confused species is L. dispersa s.str. from which L. semipallida differs both anatomically and chemically. Lecanora dispersa is currently recognized as having epithecial granules that often extend into part or all of the hymenium and that are K insoluble. The presence of pannarin in L. dispersa is also detectable in most specimens (Pd+ orange, detectable especially on inner side of the apothecial margins) (Śliwa 2006). worth mentioning is that both taxa seem to have identical distribution pattern (Śliwa 2007b cOncLuSiOn Lecanora semipallida it is one of the more distinct species of the group and most widespread, especially in temperete region of Europe and north america. The species was reported from many countries as L. xanthostoma, e.g., clauzade and Roux (1985), nimis (1993), Pišút et al. (1996), Llimona andHladun (2001), Bielczyk et al. (2005) and Lisická (2005). Most likely it was also recorded under the name L. flotov [w]iana, e.g., John (1996), diederich andSérusiaux (2000), dolnik and Petrenko (2003), clerc (2004) and Mayrhofer et al. (2005). in the latter case, however, any renaming of specimens should be made only after their thorough and critical re-determination since the name L. flotoviana has been found to have been applied to a range of different species. Full details on the status and application of the above names are provided in Śliwa (2007a). a key applicable to all species of the L. dispersa complex identification is included in the recent revision of the complex in north america (Śliwa 2007a).