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Lichenicolous on Stereocaulon

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  • November 27, 2025 at 3:33 pm #33115
    JennyS

      Still checking old lichen specimens from SW Ireland and came across two possibles on Stereocaulon spp.

      Q1) On Stereocaulon vesuvianum appears to be a Sphaerellothecium sp. but I wasn’t able to find any perithecia:

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      Q2) On Stereocaulon evolutum, under the microscope K+ mauve, conidia hyaline, simple (13-)17(-22) x 10-12(-15) µm. Not at all sure whether this is something lichenicolous though!

      z Stereocaulon Q1 090904 046.jpg

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      November 28, 2025 at 4:00 pm #46760
      Paul Cannon
      Participant

        1) Quite possibly, but not really identifiable in this condition. LGBI3 says there is an unidentified Sphaerellothecium on S. evolutum, but my hunch is that they are not very host-specific and could be the same as those on unrelated hosts with similar chemistry and/or physical characteristics. Suggest you pretend you didn’t find it…

        2) These are cyanobacteria, probably growing over rather than a true association.

        Keep on the good work…

        Paul

        November 28, 2025 at 4:11 pm #46761
        JennyS

          Thanks Paul – I’m getting rather good at pretending I didn’t find things (though some do get kept if enough survives my investigations)!

          Related subject but different question – do you know if there’s an updated list of Irish lichenicolous fungi since the one Howard Fox produced in 2001?

          November 30, 2025 at 2:17 pm #46762
          Paul Cannon
          Participant

            Not as such, to my knowledge, but they are included in the third edition of Mark Seaward’s Census Catalogue of Irish Lichens (2010). Plenty more may have been recorded since, I suppose.

            Paul

            PS I checked with Kew and we should be able to access your collection of Muellerella solenopsorae without too many complications, so please send it to me and I’ll start the process.

            November 30, 2025 at 4:17 pm #46763
            JennyS

              Thanks Paul, as there were probably new LF records from the Lichen Ireland project years I’ll ask Janet about that, and I’ll get the Muellerella solenopsorae specimen in the post to you Monday or Tuesday.

              Going back to the Nagoya Protocol – Ireland ratified it in 2022/23 but did Kew have any advice on what the position is for collections after that date? Its of particular concern as I’m moving back next year

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