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Aspicilia verrucigera Hue Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. 5 sér. 2: 48. 1912. ≡ Lecanora verrucigera (Hue) Zahlbr., Cat. Lich. Univ. 5: 357. 1928. (Fig. 1C) Thallus lichenized, crustose, thick, areolate to verrucose, dark grey, rarely with dark brown or yellowish-brown tint, matt. Areoles flat to convex, irregular, very thick, with a partially squamulose or warted surface, 0.5–2.0 mm in diam. Prothallus usually indistinct, black. Apothecia immersed, 1 to 5 per areole, 0.3–1.0 mm in diam., thalline margin indistinct or thin, on the disc level, smooth, concolorous with thallus, disc rounded to irregular, black, flat to slightly convex, very rarely pruinose, matt. Hymenium colourless, 90–150 μm tall, with submoniliform paraphyses (3–4 globose apical cells), epihymenium green-brown to olive-brown, N+ green intensifying, K+ yellowish brown (Caesiocinerea-green), hypothecium colourless. Asci 8-spored, ascospores hyaline, simple, ellipsoid, 16–23 × 8–13 μm. Conidia filiform, 12–23 × 1 μm. Chemistry: Aspicilia verrucigera contains stictic (major) and norstictic (minor) acids in the cortex (Owe-Larsson et al. 2007). However, in some Polish specimens (UGDA L-11099, KRA-443, Hb. Szczepańska 1272, 1273), cryptostictic, connorstictic and constictic acids (all minor) have also been detected. Ecology and distribution: Aspicilia verrucigera is a rare species occurring in temperate to boreal and alpine areas of Asia, Europe and North America (Owe-Larsson et al. 2007, Shu-Xia et al. 2013). It has been reported from only a few countries, including Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden (Vitikainen et al. 1997; Aptroot et al. 1999; Søchting & Alstrup 2008; Roux 2012; Wirth et al. 2013; Westberg et al. 2021), USA, Canada (Esslinger 2016) and China (Shu-Xia et al. 2013). Aspicilia verrucigera has not previously been reported from Poland. However, after revision of the available Aspicilia material, a few specimens of this species were found in Polish herbaria, as well as newly collected specimens from northern and southern Poland. It is known from scattered localities, in both the lowlands and low mountain areas of the country. This species occurs on siliceous rocks and boulders in open and well-lit locations. Notes: The Polish specimens of A. verrucigera were usually incorrectly identified as Circinaria caesiocinerea (Nyl. ex Malbr.) A. Nordin, Savić & Tibell or, rarely, as Aspicilia laevata (Ach.) Arnold. Circinaria caesiocinerea and A. verrucigera may have been confused because of the similarity in their preferred habitats, as well as the appearance of the thallus, which is rather thick, areolate and grey. However, both taxa can be easily distinguished based on the secondary lichen metabolites: A. verrucigera always contains stictic acid, whereas C. caesiocinerea produces aspicilin (Owe-Larsson et al. 2007; Fletcher et al. 2009; Wirth et al. 2013). In the case of A. laevata, the main difference is the habitat because this species grows in shady and moist places, usually in mixed forests or close to streams and rivers. In addition, the thallus of A. laevata is thinner than in A. verrucigera, smooth and irregularly cracked rather than areolate, and has a greenish tint (Wirth 1995; Fletcher et al. 2009; Wirth et al. 2013). The nucITS marker was sequenced from three specimens (Table 1), which shared 99.79 or 99.65% identity with the sequences of A. verrucigera deposited in GenBank originated from the Czech Republic and Sweden (Table 2, data for A. verrucigera). In addition, two mtSSU rDNA sequences from specimens of A. verrucigera (Table 1) showed 100% identity with the sequence from the Czech Republic (OK465538). Material examined: POLAND. Dolnośląskie province: Sudety Mts, Złote Mts, ruins of the castle Karpień, elev. c. 775 m, on gneiss rock, 25 October 2015, K. Szczepańska 1036 (Hb. Szczepańska); Sudety Mts, Karkonosze Mts, Szklarska Poręba town, Marianki rocks, elev. 700 m, on granite rocks, 21 June 2018, K. Szczepańska 1272, 1273 (Hb. Szczepańska); Śląskie province: Karpaty Mts, Beskidy Zachodnie Mts, Beskid Mały Mts, Bujakowska Mt, elev. c. 600 m, on the southern slope on the small wall, 23 August 1960, J. Nowak (KRAM L-7499); Karpaty Mts, Beskid Żywiecki Mts, Grupa Pilska Range, Żabnica Duża village, Tokarnia settlement, elev. 780 m, on a sandstone block in a loose wall, 28 September 1964, J. Nowak (KRAM L-16657); Beskid Żywiecki Mts, Młada Hora settlement near Soblówka village, elev. 960 m, on piles of sandstone boulders, 26 September 1986, J. Nowak (KRAM L-30388); Małopolskie province: Karpaty Mts, Beskid Sądecki Mts, Radziejowa Range, Szczawnicka Rock, elev. 1160 m, on sandstone rocks in full sun, 1 September 1990, L. Śliwa (KRA-443); Świętokrzyskie province: Świętokrzyskie Mts, Świnia Góra Nature Reserve near Bliżyn village, on sandstone rocks in a forest clearing, 5 May 1959, J. Nowak (KRAM L-5394, 5363); Świętokrzyskie Mts, Klonowskie Range, Klonów village, on sandstone rock, 1980, A. Kowalczyk, K. Toborowicz (KTC); Świętokrzyskie Mts, Cisowskie Range, 0.7 km south of Września Mt, on siliceous rock, 1981, S. Cieśliński, B. Łyś (KTC); Lubuskie province: Kaszubskie Lakeland, near the Stone Circles (burial mounds) in Borcz village, on a granite stone in bright forest, 7 March 2004, M. Kukwa 2916 (UGDA L-11099); Kaszubskie Lakeland, Kaszubski Park Krajobrazowy, south-west of Uniradze village, forest section no. 49, oak-beech forest, on stone, 11 August 2020, M. Kukwa 21284, 21285, 21286, A. Kowalewska (UGDA L-43555, 43556, 43557); Zachodniopomorskie province: Polanowska Upland, Baranowiec forest district, on a silicate rock by the road at the edge of the meadow, 19 October 1979, I. Izydorek (SLTC); Pomorskie province: Bory Tucholskie, Kręgi Kamienne Nature Reserve, north-west of Odry village, on erratic blocks in the circle, 12 June 2018, M. Kukwa 19950, 19956a (UGDA L-25370, 25383); Bory Tucholskie, Kręgi Kamienne Nature Reserve, north-west of Odry village, on erratic blocks in the circle, 19 June 2018 M. Kukwa 19972, 19972a, 19979a (UGDA L-25405, 25406, 25415)., Published as part of Szczepańska, Katarzyna, Kukwa, Martin, Guzow-Krzemińska, Beata & Urbaniak, Jacek, 2023, New and rare lichens of the family Megasporaceae discovered in Poland, pp. 133-144 in Phytotaxa 598 (2) on page 138, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.598.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7961063, {"references":["Owe-Larsson, B., Nordin, A. & Tibell, L. (2007) Aspicilia. In: Nash, III T. H., Ryan, B. D., Diederich, P., Gries, C. & Bungartz, F. (Eds.) Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region, Vol. 3. Lichens Unlimited, Arizona State University, Tempe, pp. 61 - 108.","Shu-Xia, L., Xing-Ran, K. & Qiang, R. (2013) New records of Aspicilia species from China. Mycotaxon 126: 91 - 96. https: // doi. org / 10.5248 / 126.91","Vitikainen, O., Ahti, T., Kuusinen, M., Lommi, S. & Ulvinen, T. (1997) Checklist of lichens and allied fungi of Finland. Norrlinia 6: 1 - 123.","Aptroot, A., Herk, K., van Sparrius, L. & Boom, P. P. G. van den. (1999) Checklist van de Nederlandse lichenen en lichenicole fungi. Buxbaumiella 50: 4 - 64.","Sochting, U. & Alstrup, V. (2008) Danish Lichen Checklist. Version 2. Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 46 pp.","Roux, C. (2012) Liste des lichens et champignons lichenicoles de France. Bulletin de la Societe linneenne de Provence 16: 1 - 220.","Wirth, V., Hauck, M. & Schultz, M. (2013) Die Flechten Deutschlands. Verl. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1244 pp.","Westberg, M., Moberg, R., Myrdal, M., Nordin, A. & Ekman, S. (2021) Santesson's Checklist of Fennoscandian Lichen-Forming and Lichenicolous Fungi. Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 938 pp.","Esslinger, T. L. (2016) A cumulative checklist for the lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi of the continental United States and Canada, version 21. Opuscula Philolichenum 15: 136 - 390.","Fletcher, A., Purvis, O. W. & Coppins, B. J. (2009) Aspicilia A. Massal. In: Smith, C. W., Aptroot, A., Coppins, B. J., Flechter, A., Gilbert, O. L., James, P. W. & Wolseley, P. A. (eds.) The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland. The British Lichen Society, London, pp. 181 - 188.","Wirth, V. (1995) Die Flechten Baden - Wurttembergs. Verl. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1006 pp."]}

Oxneriaria supertegens (Arnold) S.Y. Kondr. & Lőkös Acta Bot. Hung. 59 (3–4): 358. 2017. ≡ Aspicilia supertegens Arnold, Verh. K. K. Zool. - Bot. Ges. Wien 27: 567. 1877. ≡ Lecanora supertegens (Arnold) Zahlbr., Cat. Lich. Univ. 5: 354. 1928. (Fig. 1D) Thallus lichenized, crustose, thick, usually circular, smooth to irregularly cracked, creamy-white, yellowish-white to greyish-white, matt. Prothallus not visible. Apothecia immersed, 0.5–1.5 mm in diam., thalline margin concolorous with the thallus, thin to thick, disc rounded to irregular, black, flat and matt, sometimes with white pruina. Hymenium colourless, 120–150 μm tall, with submoniliform paraphyses (3–4 globose apical cells), epihymenium green-brown to olive-brown, N+ green intensifying, K+ yellowish brown (Caesiocinerea-green), hypothecium colourless. Asci 8- spored, ascospores hyaline, simple, ellipsoid, 18–24 × 8–15 μm. Conidia filiform, slightly curved, 14–25 × 1 μm. Chemistry: No secondary metabolites were detected in the analysed material. Ecology and distribution: Oxneriaria supertegens is a rare, circumpolar and arctic-alpine species (Thomson 1984), which has been reported from Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland (Vitikainen et al. 1997; Llimona & Hladun 2001; Roux 2012; Wirth et al. 2013; Nimis et al. 2018; Westberg et al. 2021; Nimis & Martellos 2022) and from outside Europe from USA and Canada (Thomson 1984; Esslinger 2016). Here, it is reported for the first time from Poland. Three specimens of this species, stored in the KRAM herbarium, were collected in the Tatry Mts in 1987, but remained unidentified. Oxneriaria supertegens prefers specific, very moist habitats, especially siliceous boulders close to mountain brooks and rivers that are frequently sprinkled or periodically flooded with fresh water. Notes: The species most similar to O. supertegens is Aspicilia aquatica (Fr.) Körb. Both taxa occur in similar, humid habitats and have a whitish, smooth to slightly cracked thallus. The main differences between the species are the length of the conidia (shorter in A. aquatica, 12–15 cm) and the size of the ascospores (larger in A. aquatica, 22–27[–35] × 14–20 cm) (Wirth et al. 2013). Material examined: POLAND. Małopolskie province: Karpaty Mts, Tatry Zachodnie Mts, upper part of the Jarząbcza Valley, elev. 1360 m, on granite boulders in the bed of the Jarząbczy stream, on surfaces protruding above the water surface, 10 October 1987, J. Nowak (KRAM L-34324); Tatry Zachodnie Mts, upper part of the Jarząbcza Valley, elev. 1310 m, on granite boulders in the bed of the Jarząbczy stream, flooded periodically with water, 10 October 1987, J. Nowak (KRAM L-34348, 34332). Selected specimens of Aspicilia aquatica examined. POLAND. Małopolskie province: Karpaty Mts, High Tatry Mts, Pańszczyca Valley, Czerwony Stawek pond, elev. ca. 1700 m, on granite rock in water, 8 July 1971, J. Nowak (KRAM L-19885); High Tatry Mts, Rysy Mt., elev. 2140 m, in water race, on siliceous rock, 8 Aug. 2003, A. Flakus s.n. (KRAM L-48329); High Tatry Mts, Rysy Mt., elev. 2160 m, 20 July 2004, A. Flakus 2724 (KRAM L).

Aspicilia polychroma Anzi Cat. Lich. Sondr.: 59. 1860. ≡ Lecanora polychroma (Anzi) Nyl., in Stizenberger, Ber. Tätigk. St. Gallischen Naturwiss. Ges.: 379. 1882. (Fig. 1B) Thallus lichenized, crustose, rather thick, irregularly cracked to areolate or verrucose-areolate, dark grey, browngrey, often with olive or yellowish tinge, matt. Areoles flat to slightly convex, angular, smooth, 0.5–2.5 mm in diam. Prothallus rarely visible, fibrous, dark grey. Apothecia immersed, 1 to 5 per areole, 0.5–1.2 mm in diam., thalline margin same colour as the thallus or darker, thin, disc rounded to irregular, black, flat and matt. Hymenium colourless, 90–130 μm tall, with submoniliform paraphyses (3–5 globose apical cells), epihymenium green-brown to olive-brown, N+ green intensifying, K+ yellowish brown (Caesiocinerea-green), hypothecium colourless.Asci 8-spored, ascospores hyaline, simple, narrowly ellipsoid, 18–23 × 8–13 μm. Conidia filiform 15–24 × 1 μm. Chemistry: No secondary metabolites were detected in the analysed material. Ecology and distribution: Aspicilia polychroma is a rare, mountain species occurring mainly in Europe, especially in the Alps, the Karpaty Mts and the Pyrenees. It has been reported from Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland (Vitikainen et al. 1997; Llimona & Hladun 2001; Lisická 2005; Roux 2012; Wirth et al. 2013; Flakus 2014; Nimis et al. 2018; Westberg et al. 2021; Nimis & Martellos 2022), as well as USA and Canada (Esslinger 2016). In Poland, only a variety A. polychroma var. rubrireagens Asta & Cl. Roux, in which the thallus reacts K+ red, has been reported from a single locality in the High Tatry Mts (Flakus 2007). The new records represent the typical variety without lichen substances. Aspicilia polychroma prefers slightly calciferous, siliceous rocky habitats in open and well-lit locations.All newly recorded specimens were found growing at altitudes above 700 m, on boulders in neutrophilic habitats surrounded by pastures or meadows. Notes: Aspicilia polychroma may be confused with other taxa of the Megasporaceae family, especially Aspicilia calcitrapa Cl. Roux & A. Nordin, Circinaria gibbosa (Ach.) A. Nordin, Savić & Tibell, C. caesiocinerea (Nyl. ex Malbr.) A. Nordin, Savić & Tibell and Sagedia zonata Ach., all of which also occur on siliceous rocks in open places, and all with thalli showing no colour reaction with standard spot tests (Owe-Larsson et al. 2007; Fletcher et al. 2009; Roux et al. 2011; Wirth et al. 2013). The main distinguishing feature of A. polychroma is, however, the length of the conidia, which are clearly longer than in the mentioned taxa. In addition, A. gibbosa and C. caesiocinerea produce larger ascospores (20–26[–30] × 12–16[–18] μm) and, additionally, C. caesiocinerea contains aspicilin as a secondary metabolite in the thallus (Owe-Larsson et al. 2007; Fletcher et al. 2009; Wirth et al. 2013). Material examined: POLAND. Dolnośląskie province: Sudety Mts, Sowie Mts, Sokola Pass, elev. c. 800 m, on a siliceous boulder in the meadow, 11 April 2015, K. Szczepańska 1022 (Hb. Szczepańska); Małopolskie province: Karpaty Mts, Beskid Sądecki Mts, Jaworzyna Krynicka Range, Zadnie Góry settlement, elev. c. 850 m, on sandstone rocks, 4 July 1989, L. Śliwa (KRA-396); Jaworzyna Krynicka Range, Zadnie Góry settlement, elev. c. 790 m, on sandstone rocks, 4 July 1989, L. Śliwa (KRA-397); Jaworzyna Krynicka Range, Sarnica Mt, elev. c. 920 m, on sandstone rocks, 4 Aug. 1989, L. Śliwa (KRA-398); Karpaty Mts, Beskidy Zachodnie Mts, Gorce Mts, by the black tourist trail in the Jastrzębie clearing at the edge of the Gorce National Park, elev. 960 m, on sandstone rock, 22 October 1997, P. Czarnota, J. Kiszka (GPN-1895/94)., Published as part of Szczepańska, Katarzyna, Kukwa, Martin, Guzow-Krzemińska, Beata & Urbaniak, Jacek, 2023, New and rare lichens of the family Megasporaceae discovered in Poland, pp. 133-144 in Phytotaxa 598 (2) on pages 136-138, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.598.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7961063, {"references":["Vitikainen, O., Ahti, T., Kuusinen, M., Lommi, S. & Ulvinen, T. (1997) Checklist of lichens and allied fungi of Finland. Norrlinia 6: 1 - 123.","Llimona, X. & Hladun, N. L. (2001) Checklist of the lichens and lichenicolous fungi of the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands. Bocconea 14: 5 - 581.","Lisicka, E. (2005) The lichens of the Tatry Mountains. VEDA, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, 439 pp.","Roux, C. (2012) Liste des lichens et champignons lichenicoles de France. Bulletin de la Societe linneenne de Provence 16: 1 - 220.","Wirth, V., Hauck, M. & Schultz, M. (2013) Die Flechten Deutschlands. Verl. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1244 pp.","Flakus, A. (2014) Lichens of the subnival belt of the Polish Tatra Mountains. W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, 280 pp.","Nimis, P. L., Hafellner, J., Roux, C., Clerc, P., Mayrhofer, H., Martellos, S. & Bilovitz, P. O. (2018) The lichens of the Alps - an annotated checklist. MycoKeys 31: 1 - 634. https: // doi. org / 10.3897 / mycokeys. 31.23658","Westberg, M., Moberg, R., Myrdal, M., Nordin, A. & Ekman, S. (2021) Santesson's Checklist of Fennoscandian Lichen-Forming and Lichenicolous Fungi. Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 938 pp.","Nimis, P. L. & Martellos, S. (2022) ITALIC - The Information System on Italian Lichens. Version 7. 0. University of Trieste, Dept. of Biology. Available from: https: // dryades. units. it / italic (accessed: 25 August 2022)","Esslinger, T. L. (2016) A cumulative checklist for the lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi of the continental United States and Canada, version 21. Opuscula Philolichenum 15: 136 - 390.","Flakus, A. (2007) Lichenized and lichenicolous fungi from mylonitized areas of the subnival belt in the Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians). Annales Botanici Fennici 44: 427 - 449.","Owe-Larsson, B., Nordin, A. & Tibell, L. (2007) Aspicilia. In: Nash, III T. H., Ryan, B. D., Diederich, P., Gries, C. & Bungartz, F. (Eds.) Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region, Vol. 3. Lichens Unlimited, Arizona State University, Tempe, pp. 61 - 108.","Fletcher, A., Purvis, O. W. & Coppins, B. J. (2009) Aspicilia A. Massal. In: Smith, C. W., Aptroot, A., Coppins, B. J., Flechter, A., Gilbert, O. L., James, P. W. & Wolseley, P. A. (eds.) The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland. The British Lichen Society, London, pp. 181 - 188.","Roux, C., Nordin, A., Tibell, L. & Sohrabi, M. (2011) Quelques especes d'Aspicilia peu connues ou nouvelles des Pyrenees-Orientales (France). Bulletin de la Societe linneenne de Provence 14: 177 - 227."]}

Sagedia mastrucata (Wahlenb.) A. Nordin, Savić & Tibell Mycologia 102: 1346. 2010. ≡ Lichen mastrucatus Wahlenb., Fl. Lapp.: 413. 1812. ≡ Lecanora mastrucata (Wahlenb.) Ach., Syn. Meth. Lich. (Lund): 148. 1814. ≡ Aspicilia mastrucata (Wahlenb.) Th. Fr., Nova Acta Regiae Soc. Sci. Upsal., ser. 3, vol. 3: 234. 1928. (Fig. 1E) Thallus lichenized, crustose, thin to thick, developing as small patches between other lichens, areolate, pale to dark grey, sometimes with greenish tint, matt. Areoles flat to convex, irregular, 0.25–2.0 mm in diam. Prothallus usually indistinct, pale-grey and shiny. Soralia on the surface of the areoles, irregular to rounded, flat to convex, 0.3–1.0 mm in diam., confluent in older parts of the thallus. Soredia greyish-black to greyish-green, usually darker than the thallus. Apothecia and pycnidia not seen in the analysed material. Chemistry: Norstictic acid, sometimes additionally with stictic acids were detected in the Polish specimens, which is consistent with data from the literature (Wirth et al. 2013). Ecology and distribution: Sagedia mastrucata is not a very common species. It has been reported mainly from Europe, including Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, but also outside of Europe, from Turkey (Vitikainen et al. 1997; Llimona & Hladun 2001; Owe-Larsson et al. 2007; Roux 2012; Wirth et al. 2013; Nimis et al. 2018; Urbanavichus et al. 2020; Westberg et al. 2021; Nimis & Martellos 2022). Here, it is recorded from Poland for the first time, exclusively from the south-west part of the country, where it was found growing on basalt rocks in low mountain areas, under open, well-lit and usually warm and dry habitat conditions. Notes: Sagedia mastrucata belongs to a poorly know complex of soredioid and usually sterile species that also includes S. simoensis (Räsänen) A. Nordin, Savić & Tibell and Aspicilia grisea Arnold. The characteristic features of these taxa are the vegetative structures that develop on the thallus surface, which are variously named in the literature as soralia, isidia, upwards, warted areoles, papilles, isidia-like papilles or papillate isidia (Nowak & Tobolewski 1975; Dietrich et al. 2005; Fletcher et al. 2009; Nordin et al. 2010; Wirth et al. 2013). The morphological differences between these species are not clear. Usually, it has been assumed that the main features of S. mastrucata and S. simoensis are the thick thallus and numerous, grouped isidia or papilles resembling isidia, which may develop soredia on their tops. Aspicilia grisea has been described as having a very thin, dark thallus and pale, circular soralia (Fletcher et al. 2009). The morphology of the Polish specimens partly fits the description of A. grisea, although, based on the BLAST search and data provided in Urbanavichus et al. (2020), all the specimens have been classified as S. mastrucata. It is clear that the taxonomy of this group of species require further study. The nucITS rDNA marker was sequenced from seven specimens (Table 1) and showed ca. 99% identity with the sequences MK778583 and OP730575 of Sagedia aff. mastrucata deposited in GenBank (Table 2), both originating from the Czech Republic (Table 2, data for S. mastrucata). Other sequences labelled as S. mastrucata and deposited in GenBank were less similar to the newly generated sequences (ca. 95% of identity). Material examined: POLAND. Dolnośląskie province: Izerskie Foothills, Słupiec rock close to Giebułtów village, elev. 746 m, on basalt rock in the meadow, 22 June 2013, K. Szczepańska 978, 1099 (Hb. Szczepańska); Izerskie Foothills, Czubatka Hill near Platerówka village, elev. 357 m, on basalt rock, 16 March 2016, K. Szczepańska 1106 (Hb. Szczepańska); Sudety Mts, Izerskie Mts, Odarte Skały rocks, northern slope of Urwista Mt, near Rebiszów village, in the closed basalt quarry, elev. 540 m, on basalt rock, 25 April 2016, K. Szczepańska 1095, 1186 (Hb. Szczepańska); Sudety Mts, Złote Mts, Czarne Urwisko rock near Ułęże village, in the closed basalt quarry, 9 May 2016, K. Szczepańska 1116 (Hb. Szczepańska); Sudety Mts, Opawskie Mts, Karolinki rocks near Jarnołtówek village, elev. 400 m, on a natural outcrop of siliceous rocks in an oak grove, 18 February 2020, K. Szczepańska 1319 (Hb. Szczepańska)., Published as part of Szczepańska, Katarzyna, Kukwa, Martin, Guzow-Krzemińska, Beata & Urbaniak, Jacek, 2023, New and rare lichens of the family Megasporaceae discovered in Poland, pp. 133-144 in Phytotaxa 598 (2) on page 140, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.598.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7961063, {"references":["Wirth, V., Hauck, M. & Schultz, M. (2013) Die Flechten Deutschlands. Verl. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1244 pp.","Vitikainen, O., Ahti, T., Kuusinen, M., Lommi, S. & Ulvinen, T. (1997) Checklist of lichens and allied fungi of Finland. Norrlinia 6: 1 - 123.","Llimona, X. & Hladun, N. L. (2001) Checklist of the lichens and lichenicolous fungi of the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands. Bocconea 14: 5 - 581.","Owe-Larsson, B., Nordin, A. & Tibell, L. (2007) Aspicilia. In: Nash, III T. H., Ryan, B. D., Diederich, P., Gries, C. & Bungartz, F. (Eds.) Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region, Vol. 3. Lichens Unlimited, Arizona State University, Tempe, pp. 61 - 108.","Roux, C. (2012) Liste des lichens et champignons lichenicoles de France. Bulletin de la Societe linneenne de Provence 16: 1 - 220.","Nimis, P. L., Hafellner, J., Roux, C., Clerc, P., Mayrhofer, H., Martellos, S. & Bilovitz, P. O. (2018) The lichens of the Alps - an annotated checklist. MycoKeys 31: 1 - 634. https: // doi. org / 10.3897 / mycokeys. 31.23658","Urbanavichus, G., Vondrak, J., Urbanavichene, I., Palice, Z. & Malicek, J. (2020) Lichens and allied non-lichenized fungi of virgin forests in the Caucasus State Nature Biosphere Reserve (Western Caucasus, Russia). Herzogia 33: 90 - 138. https: // doi. org / 10.13158 / heia. 33.1.2020.90","Westberg, M., Moberg, R., Myrdal, M., Nordin, A. & Ekman, S. (2021) Santesson's Checklist of Fennoscandian Lichen-Forming and Lichenicolous Fungi. Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 938 pp.","Nimis, P. L. & Martellos, S. (2022) ITALIC - The Information System on Italian Lichens. Version 7. 0. University of Trieste, Dept. of Biology. Available from: https: // dryades. units. it / italic (accessed: 25 August 2022)","Nowak, J. & Tobolewski, Z. (1975) Porosty Polskie. Wyd. PWN, Warszawa-Krakow, 1177 pp.","Dietrich, M., Stofer, S. & Scheidegger, C. (2005) Die gesteinsbewohnenden Aspicilia simoensis und Gyalecta subclausa neu fur die Schweiz. Meylania 31: 28 - 31.","Fletcher, A., Purvis, O. W. & Coppins, B. J. (2009) Aspicilia A. Massal. In: Smith, C. W., Aptroot, A., Coppins, B. J., Flechter, A., Gilbert, O. L., James, P. W. & Wolseley, P. A. (eds.) The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland. The British Lichen Society, London, pp. 181 - 188.","Nordin, A., Savic, S. & Tibell, L. (2010) Phylogeny and taxonomy of Aspicilia and Megasporaceae. Mycologia 102: 1339 - 1349. https: // doi. org / 10.3852 / 09 - 266"]}

Aspicilia goettweigensis (Zahlbr.) Hue Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, 5 ser. 2(1): 112. 1910 ≡ Lecanora goettweigensis Zahlbr., Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 20: 345. 1905. Fig. 1A. Thallus lichenized, crustose, squamulose-areolate, olive-brown to olive-grey, matt. Areoles thin, flat and smooth at the margin of the thallus to thick and forming small squamules in the centre. Squamules irregular, white pruinose on the edges, partially erected and overlapping, convex and ear-shaped with medulla visible from underneath, 0.5–0.8 mm in diam. Prothallus rarely visible, fibrous, dark olive-grey. Apothecia rare, immersed, 1 to 3 per areole, 0.2–1.0 mm in diam., thalline margin same colour as the thallus, thin, white pruinose and radially incised on the inside edge, disc black, rounded, flat and matt. Hymenium colourless, 80–100 μm tall with submoniliform paraphyses (3–4 globose apical cells), epihymenium green-brown to olive-brown, N+ green intensifying, K+ yellowish brown (Caesiocinerea-green), hypothecium colourless. Asci 8-spored, ascospores hyaline, simple, narrowly ellipsoid, 18–25 × 8–12 μm. Conidia filiform, 14–20 × 1 μm. Chemistry: According to Paukov et al. (2016), A. goettweigensis contains stictic acid (major) with norstictic and connorstictic acids (both minor) in the medulla. One Polish specimen lacked secondary substances (Hb. Szczepańska 1333), but the BLAST analyses of the nucITS rDNA sequence undoubtedly identified it as A. goettweigensis (see below). Ecology and distribution: Aspicilia goettweigensis is a rare and poorly known species that has been recorded from only a few European countries, including Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland (Paukov et al. 2016; Nimis et al. 2018; Nimis & Martellos 2022). It occurs on basic and ultramafic rocks, including basalt, serpentinite, syenite and porphyry (Paukov et al. 2016). In Poland, the species has been reported from the Sudety Mts in the vicinity of the town of Jelenia Góra (Nowak & Tobolewski 1975) and in the Karpaty Mts in the Orawsko-Podhalańskie Depression (Bielczyk 2003). All of the new A. goettweigensis localities presented in this paper are located in the area of low mountains in Lower Silesia (south-western Poland). An additional record was found after revision of the Stein’s specimen stored in the WRSL herbarium, which was originally identified as Aspicilia gibbosa (Ach.) Körb. All of the recorded specimens were found growing on silicate rocks in exposed locations, influenced by high insolation and rather low moisture at altitudes of up to 500 m. Notes: Aspicilia goettweigensis can be confused with other members of the genus, especially A. laevata (Ach.) Arnold and A. verrucigera Hue, due to the very similar sizes of the ascospores and conidia, and the secondary chemistry. The most important distinguishing feature of A. goettweigensis, however, is the appearance of the thallus, which consists of characteristic overlapping and convex squamules. In the literature, these squamules are described as hollow, cracking into “popcorn-like tufts”, and showing white medulla in well-developed specimens (Paukov et al. 2016). In addition, unlike A. goettweigensis, A. laevata prefers shady and moist habitats, close to water or located in forests (Wirth 1995, Fletcher et al. 2009). The nucITS marker was sequenced from four specimens (Table 1), and the BLAST analyses showed 98% to 100% identity with the sequences of A. goettweigensis deposited in GenBank (Table 2, data for A. goettweigensis). Sequences of the best hits originated from Russia and the Czech Republic (KX159292 and KX159293, respectively). Material examined: POLAND. Dolnośląskie province: Sudety Mts, Jeleniogórska Basin, Łomnickie Hills, Witosza Hill near Staniszów village, elev. 484 m, on granite rock, March 1882, B. Stein (WRSL-5791); Sudety Mts, Opawskie Mts, Karolinki rocks near Jarnołtówek village, elev. 400 m, on natural outcrop of siliceous rocks in an oak grove, 18 February 2020, K. Szczepańska 1318, 1320 (Hb. Szczepańska); Sudeckie Foothills, Strzegomskie Hills, Krzyżowa Hill, elev. 360 m, on basalt rock, 19 May 2013, K. Szczepańska 1092, 1093 (Hb. Szczepańska); Sudeckie Foothills, Kaczawskie Foothills, Organy Wielisławskie quarry in Sędziszowa village, elev. c. 300 m, on porphyry rocks, 8 May 2020, K. Szczepańska 1333 (Hb. Szczepańska)., Published as part of Szczepańska, Katarzyna, Kukwa, Martin, Guzow-Krzemińska, Beata & Urbaniak, Jacek, 2023, New and rare lichens of the family Megasporaceae discovered in Poland, pp. 133-144 in Phytotaxa 598 (2) on pages 134-136, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.598.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7961063, {"references":["Paukov, A., Nordin, A., Tibell, L., Frolov, I. & Vondrak, J. (2016) Aspicilia goettweigensis (Megasporaceae, lichenized Ascomycetes) - a poorly known and overlooked species in Europe and Russia. Nordic Journal of Botany 35: 595 - 601. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / njb. 01222","Nimis, P. L., Hafellner, J., Roux, C., Clerc, P., Mayrhofer, H., Martellos, S. & Bilovitz, P. O. (2018) The lichens of the Alps - an annotated checklist. MycoKeys 31: 1 - 634. https: // doi. org / 10.3897 / mycokeys. 31.23658","Nimis, P. L. & Martellos, S. (2022) ITALIC - The Information System on Italian Lichens. Version 7. 0. University of Trieste, Dept. of Biology. Available from: https: // dryades. units. it / italic (accessed: 25 August 2022)","Nowak, J. & Tobolewski, Z. (1975) Porosty Polskie. Wyd. PWN, Warszawa-Krakow, 1177 pp.","Bielczyk, U. (2003) The lichens and allied fungi of the Polish Carpathians: an annotated checklist. W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, 342 pp.","Wirth, V. (1995) Die Flechten Baden - Wurttembergs. Verl. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1006 pp.","Fletcher, A., Purvis, O. W. & Coppins, B. J. (2009) Aspicilia A. Massal. In: Smith, C. W., Aptroot, A., Coppins, B. J., Flechter, A., Gilbert, O. L., James, P. W. & Wolseley, P. A. (eds.) The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland. The British Lichen Society, London, pp. 181 - 188.","Vondrak, J., Svoboda, S., Malicek, J., Palice, Z., Kocourkova, J., Knudsen, K., Mayrhofer, H., Thus, H., Schultz, M., Kosnar, J. & Hofmeister, J. (2022) From Cinderella to princess: an exceptional hotspot of lichen diversity in a long-inhabited central-European landscape. Preslia 94: 143 - 181. https: // doi. org / 10.23855 / preslia. 2022.143","Nordin, A., Tibell, L. & Owe-Larsson, B. (2007) A preliminary phylogeny of Aspicilia in relation to morphological and secondary product variation. In: Kalb, K., Frisch, A., Lange, U. & Staiger, B. (eds.) Lichenologische Nebenstunden: Contributions to lichen taxonomy and ecology in honour of Klaus Kalb. J. Cramer in der Gebru ¨ der Borntraeger Verlagsbuchhandlung, pp. 247 - 266.","Urbanavichus, G., Vondrak, J., Urbanavichene, I., Palice, Z. & Malicek, J. (2020) Lichens and allied non-lichenized fungi of virgin forests in the Caucasus State Nature Biosphere Reserve (Western Caucasus, Russia). Herzogia 33: 90 - 138. https: // doi. org / 10.13158 / heia. 33.1.2020.90","Malicek, J. (2022) Lichens of Ptaci stena Nature Reserve in the Blansky les Mts. Bryonora 70: 1 - 14."]}

Sagedia zonata Ach. Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Nya Handl. 30: 165. 1809. ≡ Lecanora zonata (Ach.) H. Magn., Kongl. Svenska Vetensk. Acad. Handl., ser. 3 17(5): 139. 1939. ≡ Aspicilia zonata (Ach.) R. Sant., Lich. Sweden & Norway (Stockholm): 46. 1984. (Fig. 1F) Thallus lichenized, crustose, areolate, thin, pale-grey, greenish-grey or brownish-grey, matt. Areoles, flat to slightly convex, rounded to irregular, 0.5–2.0 mm in diam. Prothallus rarely visible, fibrous, dark-grey to black. Apothecia immersed, 1 to 4 per areole, 0.2–1.0 mm in diam., thalline margin thin, slightly raised, smooth, grey, usually darker than the thallus, disc black, rounded, flat and matt. Hymenium colourless, 90–110 μm tall with submoniliform paraphyses (3–4 globose apical cells), epihymenium green-brown to olive-brown, N+ green intensifying, K+ yellowish brown (Caesiocinerea-green), hypothecium colourless. Asci 8-spored, ascospores hyaline, simple, ellipsoid, 16–22 × 8–12 μm. Conidia filiform 8–12 × 1 μm. Chemistry: No secondary substances were detected in the analysed material. Ecology and distribution: Sagedia zonata is not a very common species, occurring in scattered localities in only a few European countries, including Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway and Sweden (Roux 2012; Wirth et al. 2013; Nimis et al. 2018; Westberg et al. 2021; Nimis & Martellos 2022). It had not been previously reported from Poland; however, a few specimens of this taxon were stored in Polish herbaria under other names, including two samples collected by B. Stein in the Karkonosze Mts. Sagedia zonata occurs on silicate rocks, in high precipitation locations, in open places and usually in mountains (Wirth et al. 2013). In Poland, it has been exclusively reported from the Sudety and Karpaty Mts from relatively high altitudes (above 1000 m). In addition, after field studies conducted in 2006 (Kossowska et al. 2016) and the revision of material collected by B. Stein, it was confirmed, after 130 years, from a locality on a basalt vein in the Mały Śnieżny Kocioł cirque (Kleine Schneegrube) (Fig. 2A–C). Notes: Sagedia zonata is a very often overlooked or incorrectly identified species because of the lack of obvious characteristic features. In Polish herbaria, it was usually labelled as Circinaria caesiocinerea. Indeed, these two taxa are similar, both in the terms of thallus morphology and the length of the conidia (Wirth et al. 2013). However, both species differ in ascospore size, which are larger in C. caesiocinerea (20–26[–30] × 12–16[–18] μm) (Owe-Larsson et al. 2007; Fletcher et al. 2009; Nordin et al. 2010; Wirth et al. 2013). In addition, C. caesiocinerea usually avoids habitats with harsh climatic conditions in high mountains, being known in Poland mostly from lowlands. Sagedia zonata can also be confused with Aspicilia aquatica (Fr.) Körb., although the latter can be distinguished by the whitish colour of the thallus, the larger ascospores (22–27[–35] × 14–20 μm) and the occurrence in the vicinity of water (Owe-Larsson et al. 2007; Wirth et al. 2013). Aspicilia polychroma Anzi is similar in terms of the secondary chemistry, thallus appearance and ascospore size, but it can be distinguished by its longer conidia (20–25 μm) (Wirth et al. 2013). The nucITS rDNA marker was sequenced from six specimens (Table 1) and showed a 98–99% identity with the sequences of S. zonata deposited in GenBank (Table 2, data for S. zonata), of which sequences of the best hits from BLAST analyses originated from Sweden. Material examined: POLAND. Dolnośląskie province: Sudety Mts, Karkonosze Mts, Mały Śnieżny Kocioł cirque, on basalt rock, July 1883, B. Stein (WRSL-7755); Sudety Mts, Karkonosze Mts, Kocioł Wielkiego Stawu cirque, on granite rock, 21 July 1865, B. Stein (WRSL-7736); Karkonosze Mts, Mały Śnieżny Kocioł cirque, basalt vein, on basalt, August 2006, M. Kossowska, W. Fałtynowicz (Hb. Kossowska 383, 459, Hb. Szczepańska 41, 924); Karkonosze Mts, Mały Śnieżny Kocioł cirque, basalt vein, on basalt, 18 July 2013, K. Szczepańska 1102 (Hb. Szczepańska); Małopolskie province: Karpaty Mts, Tatry Zachodnie Mts, Chochołowska Valley, elev. 1140 m, on granite boulders in the Chochołowska clearing, 1 December 1995, J. Nowak (KRAM L-42336, KRAM L-42339); Podkarpackie province: Karpaty Mts, Bieszczady Mts, Wetlińska Meadow, south-western slope of the Roh Mt, elev. 1025 m, on sandstone rock, 11 September 2004, J. Kiszka, R. Kościelniak (KRAP L); Bieszczady Mts, Wetlińska Meadow, south-western slope of Roh Mt, close to the tourist trail, elev. 1190 m, on sandstone rock, 11 September 2004, J. Kiszka, R. Kościelniak (KRAP L); Bieszczady Mts, Wietlińska Meadow, north-eastern slope, close to mountain shelter, elev. 1160 m, on sandstone rock, 12 September 2004, J. Kiszka (KRAP L)., Published as part of Szczepańska, Katarzyna, Kukwa, Martin, Guzow-Krzemińska, Beata & Urbaniak, Jacek, 2023, New and rare lichens of the family Megasporaceae discovered in Poland, pp. 133-144 in Phytotaxa 598 (2) on pages 140-141, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.598.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7961063, {"references":["Roux, C. (2012) Liste des lichens et champignons lichenicoles de France. Bulletin de la Societe linneenne de Provence 16: 1 - 220.","Wirth, V., Hauck, M. & Schultz, M. (2013) Die Flechten Deutschlands. Verl. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1244 pp.","Nimis, P. L., Hafellner, J., Roux, C., Clerc, P., Mayrhofer, H., Martellos, S. & Bilovitz, P. O. (2018) The lichens of the Alps - an annotated checklist. MycoKeys 31: 1 - 634. https: // doi. org / 10.3897 / mycokeys. 31.23658","Westberg, M., Moberg, R., Myrdal, M., Nordin, A. & Ekman, S. (2021) Santesson's Checklist of Fennoscandian Lichen-Forming and Lichenicolous Fungi. Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 938 pp.","Nimis, P. L. & Martellos, S. (2022) ITALIC - The Information System on Italian Lichens. Version 7. 0. University of Trieste, Dept. of Biology. Available from: https: // dryades. units. it / italic (accessed: 25 August 2022)","Kossowska, M., Faltynowicz, W. & Szczepanska, K. (2016) Current distribution and ecology of lichens in a biodiversity hotspot in the Maly Sniezny Kociol glacial cirque, Sudetes, Poland. Herzogia 29: 120 - 136. https: // doi. org / 10.13158 / heia. 29.1.2016.120","Owe-Larsson, B., Nordin, A. & Tibell, L. (2007) Aspicilia. In: Nash, III T. H., Ryan, B. D., Diederich, P., Gries, C. & Bungartz, F. (Eds.) Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region, Vol. 3. Lichens Unlimited, Arizona State University, Tempe, pp. 61 - 108.","Fletcher, A., Purvis, O. W. & Coppins, B. J. (2009) Aspicilia A. Massal. In: Smith, C. W., Aptroot, A., Coppins, B. J., Flechter, A., Gilbert, O. L., James, P. W. & Wolseley, P. A. (eds.) The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland. The British Lichen Society, London, pp. 181 - 188.","Nordin, A., Savic, S. & Tibell, L. (2010) Phylogeny and taxonomy of Aspicilia and Megasporaceae. Mycologia 102: 1339 - 1349. https: // doi. org / 10.3852 / 09 - 266"]}