New Records of Lichen Taxa from Uttar Pradesh, India

Cryptogam Biodiversity and Assessment

Gupta and Sinha

Vol 1, No. 2 (2016), e-ISSN : 2456-0251, 64-69

New Records of Lichen Taxa from Uttar Pradesh, India Pooja Gupta* and G. P. Sinha Botanical Survey of India, Central Regional Centre, Allahabad–211 002, Uttar Pradesh

Publication Info Article history: Received : 2-9-2016 Accepted : 1-11-2016 DOI: 10.21756/cab.v1i2.6655 Key words: Biodiversity, India, Lichen, new records, Pilibhit.

Abstract A preliminary survey of lichen diversity in the Terai regions of Uttar Pradesh has been carried out in Pilibhit district. The investigation revealed, three species viz. Agonimia allobata (Stizenb.) P. James, Coenogonium aciculatum Lücking & Aptroot and Malmidea bakeri (Vain.) Kalb, Rivas Plata & Lumbsch are new records for India and ten species viz. Arthonia cinnabarina (DC.) Wallr., Bacidia medialis, Fissurina cingalina (Nyl.) Staiger, Graphis caesiella Vain., G. filiformis Adaw. & Makhija, G. lineola Ach., G. pyrrhocheiloides Zahlbr., Letrouitia domingensis (Pers.) Hafellner & Bellem., Mycomicrothelia nonensis (Stirt.) D. Hawksw. and M. thelena (Ach.) D. Hawksw. are new records for Uttar Pradesh.

*Corresponding author: Pooja Gupta Email: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

boundary of the area is the river Sharda (Mahakali in Nepal) which defines the Indo-Nepal border, while the south-west boundary is marked by the river Sharda and Ghaghra. In the north and north-west the tract is a continuation of the Terai (Map 2). The area has undergone several changes due to anthropogenic activities. Apart from illegal felling of trees leading to habitat fragmentation, developmental activities like road construction, increased population leading to encroachment in the protected area and urbanization have degraded the Terai region environment. The economic role of eco-tourism including trekking, hiking, camping, mountaineering, rock climbing and bird watching are other influential factors. Hence, there is need for assessment of lichen diversity in Terai region, which may be helpful in formulation of conservation strategies.

Uttar Pradesh is one of the largest states of India occupying an area of about 2,41,286 sq. km, out of which 21,291 sq. km consists of forest and tree cover, which is only about 3% of total forest cover of the country. On the basis of forest and vegetation types, the state is broadly categorized into Terai region (northern part adjacent to Nepal which has tropical moist deciduous vegetation), Gangetic Plain (central area which is agriculturally most fertile and has tropical dry deciduous vegetation), Vindhyan region (between the Gangetic plains and the Deccan Peninsula with tropical dry deciduous vegetation) and Semi arid region (only a few areas in districts like Agra, Mathura, Etawah, Auraiya and Jalaun with tropical dry deciduous vegetation). Terai region extends over the state of Uttar Pradesh and most of the districts are on the Indo-Nepal border. Eight districts, viz. Bahraich, Balarampur, Gonda, Kheri, Maharajganj, Pilibhit, Shravasti and Sidharth Nagar fall under Terai region of Uttar Pradesh (Map 1). The region is undoubtedly rich in faunal and floral composition including organisms like lichens. The forests of the Terai region are mainly sal (Shorea robusta) forest, sal mixed forest, moist mixed deciduous forest, tropical seasonal swamp forest, tropical seasonal evergreen forest, khair (Acacia catechu) and sisoo (Dalbergia sissoo) forest. The study area Pilibhit, one of the few well forested districts in Uttar Pradesh, has over 800 sq. km forests, constituting roughly 23% of the district’s total area. The north-eastern

MATERIALS & METHODS During the course of study, over 110 specimens of lichens were collected from five localities of Pilibhit district : Van Vibhag Parisar (Reserve Forest) roadside area, Mala Reserve Forest, Mahof Reserve Forest, Chukka eco tourism spots, Sarda canal (Map 2). The morphological characters of lichen specimens were studied using Nikon SMZ1500 and Olympus SZ51 stereomicroscopes. The anatomical structures were examined using Leica DM 2500 and Nikon Eclipse 50i compound microscopes. Hand-cut sections of thalli and apothecia were studied mounted in distilled water and KOH. Measurements of asci, ascospores and conidia

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The new lichen records Agonimia allobata (Stizenb.) P. James, Lichenologist 24(4): 366. 1992. Verrucaria allobata Stizenb., Ber. Tät. St Gall. Naturw. Ges.: 501. 1882. (Verrucariaceae) Figure 1 Thallus crustose, corticolous, bright green when wet, pale brown-green when dry, rough, cracked, 140–176 ìm thick; photobiont chlorococcoid. Perithecia ovoid to pyriform, 0.15–0.25 mm diam., partially immersed between thallus, black; ostiole visible as a white–pale dot, 30–50 ìm diam.; excipulum 40–60 ìm wide, 3-layered; inner most layer prosoplectenchymatous; intermediate layer dark brown pigmented, paraplectenchymatous; hymenium 200–204 ìm high, inspersed with oil globules, hymenial gel I+ red; periphyses simple; asci 4-spored, clavate, 117–158 × 20–27 ìm, fissitunicate, I”; ascospores colourless, oblong to ellipsoid, strongly muriform, 29–41 × 5–13 ìm, epispore 1.01– 1.05 ìm thick. Notes: Only A. tristicula (Nyl.) Zahlbr. is known so far from India, which differs from A. allobata by the presence of minute, green-brown, nodulose and granular squamules on the thallus and larger ascospores (57–120 × 26–50 ìm) (Upreti et al. 2013). Anatomy of the species resembles Agonimia flabelliformis Halda, Czarnota &

Fig. 1. Agonimia allobata (Stizenb.) P. James A. Habit; B. Vertical section of a perithecium; C. Asci with ascospores; D–E. Ascospores.

were made on material mounted in distilled water. Colour spot tests of the thalli were tested with 5% KOH (K), undiluted commercial bleach (C) and 0.5 g of paraphenylenediamine diluted in 5 ml of ethanol (P). The amyloid reactions were tested in Lugol’s iodine solution (I), with and without pre-treatment of KOH. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was performed in solvent systems A and C on silica gel pre-coated 60F254 aluminium sheets of 20 × 20 cm size (following Orange et al. 2001). The specimens are deposited in herbarium, Botanical survey of India, Central Regional Centre, Allahabad (BSA). RESULTS & DISCUSSION Nayaka & Upreti (2013) reported 135 taxa (132 species and two varieties) from different localities of Uttar Pradesh. Recently, six species were added to the lichen inventory of Uttar Pradesh (Gupta 2015, Gupta & Sinha 2015). The present investigation is carried out with an aim to document the lichen diversity of Terai regions of Uttar Pradesh. The identification of the lichen samples collected revealed occurrence of three species new to Indian lichen mycota and ten species new to the state. The area has a rich repository of lichen diversity, and further studies are being continued to work out a comprehensive account on the lichens flora of the region.

Fig. 2. Coenogonium aciculatum Lücking & Aptroot A. Habit; B & C. Vertical section of an apothecium; D. Ascospores.

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Notes: Coenogonium aciculatum is a distinct species due to its bright yellowish-orange apothecia (disc and margin) and rather long and narrow ascospores (Rivas Plata et al. 2006). Two corticolous species are known so far viz. C. himalayense Pant & Awasthi and C. moniliformis Tuck from India. The first has byssoid thallus and larger ascospores (40–46 ìm long) while the second has distinct moniliform algal cells and smaller (8–12 ìm long) ascospores (Awasthi 1991). The species was previously described from Costa Rica (Rivas Plata et al. 2006). Specimen examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Mahof Forest Reserve, Garha range, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 28 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8601. Malmidea bakeri (Vain.) Kalb, Rivas Plata & Lumbsch in Kalb, Rivas Plata, Lüking & Lumbsch, Biblioth. Lichenol. 106, 154–156. 2011. Lecidea bakeri Vain., Ann. Acad. Sci. Fenn. Ser. A, 15: 128. 1921. (Malmideaceae). Figure 3 Thallus crustose, corticolous, continuous, densely verrucose; verrucae 0.2–0.3 mm high and 0.2–0.3 mm wide, dull grey; medulla white, K+ yellowish; photobiont Trebouxia. Apothecia sessile, rounded to flexuose, 0.5– 1.5 mm diam.; disc plane to convex, dark chocolate brown; margin first entire, becoming granular with age, prominent, whitish grey; excipulum colourless, 95–102 ìm wide, incrusted with yellowish hydrophobic granules, nubilous but dissolving in KOH with K+ lemon yellow to greenish yellow reaction; epihymenium brown, 18–25 ìm thick; hymenium colourless, 106–125 ìm high; hypothecium 69– 90 ìm high, brown, K–; paraphyses simple, capitate; asci 8spored, clavate, 80–100 × 18–23 ìm; ascospores simple, ellipsoid, wall equally thickened, halonate, 12–18 × 8–10 ìm, halo 0.90–0.94 ìm.

Guzow–Krzemiñska from which it differs only in the presence of flabelliform aggregations of goniocysts and shorter (23– 35 x 11–15 ìm) ascospores (Guzow–Krzemiñska et al. 2012). It is widespread in Europe and N. America (Orange et al. 2013), and now from India. Specimen examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Mala Reserve Forest, Barahi range, near Majhola gaon, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 29 July 2014, on fallen tree of Shorea robusta, Pooja Gupta 8682.

Chemistry: Thallus K+ yellow and medulla K+ yellowish–orange, C–, KC–, P–; atranorin.

Coenogonium aciculatum Lücking & Aptroot in Rivas Plata, Lücking, Aptroot, Sipman, Chaves, Umana & Lizano, Fungal Diversity 23: 270. 2006. (Coenogoniaceae). Figure 2.

Notes: Morphologically Malmidea bakeri is close to M. subaurigera (Fée) Kalb, Rivas Plata & Lumbsch and M. subgranifera (Kalb & Elix) Kalb & Elix, but the first species has larger (17–21 × 9–13 ìm) ascospores and an orangeyellow medulla while the second has K– thallus and medulla, black hypothecium and lacks lichen substances (Kalb et al. 2011). The species was previously known from Thailand.

Thallus crustose, corticolous, continuous, thin, smooth, greenish grey, loosely attached to the bark, crystals present; photobiont Trentepohlia. Apothecia sessile, rounded, 0.2–0.5 mm diam. and 130–218 ìm wide, 100–110 ìm high; disc plane, slightly urceolate, yellowish-brown; margin thin, not prominent, smooth, paler than disc; excipulum paraplectenchymatous, colourless 32–50 ìm wide; epihymenium indistinct; hymenium colourless, 40–50 ìm high, I+ red, KI+ blue; hypothecium pale yellowish, 18–23 ìm high; paraphyses simple, capitate; asci 8-spored, 45– 55 × 4–6 ìm; ascospores colourless, biseriate, fusiform, 1septate, 13–18 × 2–3 ìm.

Specimen examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Mahof Forest Reserve, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 31 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8664. New records for Uttar Pradesh Arthonia cinnabarina (DC.) Wallr., Fl. Cryptog. Germ. 3: 320. 1831.

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Specimens examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Mala Reserve Forest, Garha Range, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 28 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8678; Barahi range, 29 July 2015, Pooja Gupta 8685A. Fissurina cingalina (Nyl.) Staiger, Biblioth. Lichenol. 85: 128, 2002. A crustose lichen found growing on bark of trees, is characterized by lirellate, fissured, 1–4 mm long, branched, light brown ascomata; 4-spored asci and submuriform, 28– 33 × 12–14 ìm, non-amyloid ascospores. In India, the species is reported earlier from Kerala, Maharastra and Tamil Nadu (Sharma et al. 2012). It is a new addition to Uttar Pradesh. Specimens examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Mala Reserve Forest, Garha ramge, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 28 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8602, 8680A. Graphis caesiella Vain., Acta Soc. Fauna Fl. Finn. 7: 122. 1890. A crustose lichen found growing on bark of trees, is characterized by the elongate and irregularly branched lirellae with entire labia and lateral thalline margin; laterally carbonized, convergent exciple; clear hymenium; transversely 5–9- septate, 18–22 × 6–8 µm ascospores and thallus containing norstictic acid. In India, the species is new to Uttar Pradesh and earlier reported from Assam and Lakshadweep (Singh & Sinha 2010; Gupta & Sinha 2011).

Map 1. Terai region including adjacent districts in Uttar Pradesh.

Specimen examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Mala Reserve Forest, Garha range, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 28 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8608.

A crustose lichen found growing on bark of trees, is mainly characterized by whitish to pale grey, often powdery thallus with pinkish or reddish tinge, rose-red pruina on the apothecial margin. In India, the species is reported from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Karnataka, Manipur, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (Singh & Sinha 2010; Sinha et al. 2013), and is a new distributional record for Uttar Pradesh. Specimen examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Mala Reserve Forest, Garha range, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 28 July 2014, 8603; Barhi range, 29 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8682. Bacidia medialis (Tuck. ex Nyl.) Zahlbr., Denskchr. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss., Wien, Math. -Naturwiss. Kl. 83: 127. 1909. A crustose lichen, found growing on bark of trees, is characterized by brown to dark brown, 0.2–1 mm diam. apothecia; brownish, K– epihymenium and transversely 3– 7-septate, acicular, 43–55 × 2–4 ìm ascospores. In India, the species is known from Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and the plains of West Bengal (Singh & Sinha 2010), and recorded newly for Uttar Pradesh.

Map 2. Collection site Pilibhit district and their localities.

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Graphis filiformis Adaw. & Makhija, Mycotaxon 99: 314. 2007. A crustose lichen found growing on bark of trees, is characterized by the elongate and irregularly branched lirellae with entire labia; lacking thalline margin; laterally carbonized, convergent exciple; clear hymenium; transversely 7–9-septate, 22–31 × 6–7 µm ascospores and the presence of norstictic acid. The species is reported from Assam and Karnataka (Singh & Sinha 2010; Gupta & Sinha 2011). It is a new addition to Uttar Pradesh.

and previously reported from Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (Singh & Sinha 2010). It is a new addition to Uttar Pradesh. Specimen examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Mala reserve forest, Garha range, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 28 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8681A. Mycomicrothelia nonensis (Müll. Arg.) D. Hawksw. Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Bot. 14: 105. 1985. A crustose lichen found growing on bark of tree, is characterized by solitary, globose perithecia and ellipsoidal, 1-septate, brown, (17–)15–17(–17) × (7–)6–8(–8 ) ìm ascospores with upper and lower symmetrical cells. This species is endemic to India, and previously recorded from Kerala and Tamil Nadu (Singh & Sinha 2010). It is a new addition to Uttar Pradesh.

Specimen examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Mala Reserve Forest, Barahi range, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 29 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8628B. Graphis lineola Ach., Lichenogr. Universalis: 264. 1810. A crustose lichen found growing on bark of trees, is characterized by the short, unbranched lirellae with entire labia and lateral thalline margin; laterally carbonized, convergent exciple; inspersed hymenium; transversely 7– 9-septate, 16–25 × 5–7 µm ascospores and a thallus lacking lichen substances. This species is new to Uttar Pradesh and occurs also in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and the hills of West Bengal (Singh & Sinha; Gupta & Sinha 2011).

Specimen examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Kachehari road, Van Vihar parisar, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 27 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8675. Mycomicrothelia thelena (Müll. Arg.) D. Hawksw., Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Bot. 14: 112. 1985. A crustose lichen found growing on bark of trees, is characterized by solitary globose perithecia and ellipsoidal, 1-septate, grey brown, (19–)20–22(–24) × (8–)7–9(–9) ìm ascospores with upper cell somewhat larger than lower. In India, species is reported from Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu (Singh & Sinha 2010). It is a new addition to Uttar Pradesh.

Specimens examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Mala Reserve Forest, Garha range, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 28 July 2014, 8601A; Mahof Reserve Forest, Sharda Canal to Bifurcation, 31 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8655. Graphis pyrrhocheiloides Zahlbr., Cat. Lich. Univ. 2: 321. 1923.

Specimen examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Kachehari road, Van Vihar parisar, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 27 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8589.

A crustose lichen found growing on bark of trees, is charaterised by the short, rarely branched lirellae with enitre labia and lateral thalline margin; laterally carbonized exciple; clear hymenium; transversely 5-septate, 21–37 × 4–6 µm ascospores and a thallus producing norstictic acid. In India, the species was previously reported from Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra and the hills of West Bengal (Singh & Sinha; Gupta & Sinha 2011). It is a new addition to Uttar Pradesh.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors are thankful to Dr. Paramjit Singh, Director, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, for providing facilities and financial assistance under the Flora of India Project. One of the authors (PG) is also thankful to the forest officials of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve for help during the collection.

Specimen examined: Uttar Pradesh, Pilibhit district, Mala Reserve Forest, Garha range, 28o 462 N and 79o 552 E, alt. 200–145 m., 28 July 2014, Pooja Gupta 8600A.

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A crustose lichen found growing on bark of trees, is characterized by the greenish brown to brown-black apothecia with yellow margin; submuriform, 6–7 × 0–1 septate, 28–34 × 10–12 ìm ascospores and K+ purple apothecial disc. In India, this species has wide distribution

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