Lecidea coriacea sp nov., a lichen species from oldgrowth boreal and montane forests in Europe and North America
Abstrakt
Lecidea coriacea is described as new to science from the boreal forests of Europe and montane conifer forests of northwestern North America. It is probably related to some of the species currently assigned to the genus Puttea, but is included in Lecidea awaiting a more thorough revision of this group.
The species is characterized by pale to dark brown apothecia, plusiosporic asci and by the production of secalonic acid A in the hypothecium causing a golden yellow reaction with KOH. Lecidea coriacea seems to be a species of oldgrowth forests and is threatened by forestry.
It often grows on old trees of Betula, Picea and Salix or on old conifer snags. Notes on similar species and other plusiosporic epiphytic and lignicolous species in boreal forests are given.