Variation in Porina leptalea

if you look at the description of Porina leptalea in the LGBI3 you will see there are two other possible unnamed taxa mentioned in the account. Recently I have been having a good look at one which has dark red-black perithecia, becoming rubby-red when wet which is frequent on old Holly in the New Forest and I have also seen it on Holly at Clovelly in north Devon. There are more pictures at https://britishlichensociety.org.uk/resources/species-accounts/porina-leptalea” class=”bbcode_url”>https://britishlichensociety.org.uk/resources/species-accounts/porina-leptalea

Typical Porina leptalea has small dull orange perithecia on a grey-green thallus and is found as an ephemeral early colonist on shaded bare bark and rarely on rock. Characterised by the involucrellum only containing an orange pigment (Porina-yellow) and the three septate spores being less than 23 µm long (14.5–23 × 3.5–5 µm).

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The typical orange perithecia morph on Beech in the New Forest

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perithecia cross-sections of typical orange perithecia morph, in water above and K below. Sagedia-red on top surface with Porina-yellow below.

The red perithecia morph has a darker brown to black thallus, dark red-black perithecia, becoming rubby-red when wet, 0.075 – 0.01mm diameter, the involucrellum has an outer layer of dark purple-violet, K + bluish grey pigment (Sagedia-red), thickest at the apex, with orange pigment below (Porina-yellow) and has narrow 3-septate ascospores, 15 – 22 x 3 – 3.5 µm. The red perithecia morph frequently forms large perennial colonies in rain tracks, especially on older Hollies.

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The red perithecia morph damp on old Holly in the New Forest

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The red perithecia morph closer view dry above, wet below

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The red perithecia morph perithecia cross-sections of typical orange perithecia morph, in water above and K below. Only Porina-yellow present.

The presence of Sagedia-red suggests this taxon is not referable to Porina leptalea; involucrellum pigments are very species specific characters in Porina. The perithecia are similar to those of Porina lectissima, but are too small and the spores are much too narrow, suggesting this is an undescribed species.

Looking at the web for similar material, Jenny’s Irish photo from Holly looks like the red perithecia morph while her Dorset material is the orange perithecia morph. On ITALIC 8.0 the German photos are of the orange perithecia morph, while the southern Atlantic photos, from France and Spain look to be the red perithecia morph. GBIF has numerous pictures of the orange perithecia morph from The Netherlands. It seems the red perithecia morph form is a southern Atlantic taxa in Europe?

I would be interested in any material of the red perithecia morph from other sites.

Neil