ISSN (print) 0093-4666 © 2011. Mycotaxon, Ltd. ISSN (online) 2154-8889
MYCOTAXON
Volume 115, pp. 345–351 January–March 2011
doi: 10.5248/115.345
Lichenological notes 2: Lichenothelia convexa,
a poorly known rock-inhabiting and lichenicolous fungus
Jana Kocourková
1
& Kerry Knudsen
2
1
Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences,
Prague, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 - Suchdol, CZ–165 21, Czech Republic
2
Herbarium, Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California,
Riverside CA, 9252–0124, USA
Correspondence to:
1
kocourkovaj@fzp.czu.cz &
2
knudsen@ucr.edu
Abstract — Lichenothelia convexa, a saxicolous and lichenicolous microfungus, is reported
new for the Czech Republic. e poorly known species is provided with a description and is
illustrated.
Key words — Lichenostigma saxicola, Lichenothelia paradoxa
Introduction
Rock-inhabiting fungi (known as RIF) are common throughout the
world. ey are rich in diversity (Ruibal et al. 2009) and oſten collected by
lichenologists who study saxicolous lichenized fungi. Lichenothelia D. Hawksw.
is a cosmopolitan genus of RIF currently comprising 24 species (Robert et
al. 2005). e genus Lichenothelia was introduced by Hawksworth (1981)
for the Microthelia aterrima group of fungi with apothecioid ascomata with
bitunicate asci, pseudoparaphyses, 1–3 septate to submuriform brown halonate
ascospores, and a black areolate non-lichenized thallus. e generic type is
L. scopularia (Nyl.) D. Hawksw., a widespread species on acid rock or mica schists
in Europe and North America, which has mainly 3-septate to submuriform
ascospores and an I– hymenium. Hawksworth included a second species in the
genus, L. metzleri (J. Lahm) D. Hawksw., which has a similar thallus, but differs
in having predominately 1-septate ascospores, an amyloid reaction on the outer
layers of the asci (I+ blue), and occurs on calcareous rock and serpentine. It is
also known from Europe and North America (Hawksworth 1981).
Aino Henssen published 18 new species in the genus on calcareous or
non-calcareous rock (Henssen 1987). Five of the species had apothecioid