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Lepraria leuckertiana (Zedda) L. Saag |
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Nomenclatural data
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Lecanora leuckertiana Zedda, Nova Hedwigia 71: 107-112 (2000); type: Italy, Sardinia, Prov. Sassari, Illorai, Monte Artu, 1494647E, 4472420N (Gauss-Boaga), 9. Apr. 1997, L. Zedda 1800(2) (B—holotypus).
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Morphology
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Thallus crustose, leprose, with cottony and powdery to granular appearance; whitish green to greyish green; thick; shape usually irregular; margin diffuse or delimited, lobes usually minute, often obscure; cortex absent; medulla present, well developed, forming cottony layer, white; areoles absent; squamules absent; patches with exposed medulla present, also medullary hyphae intermixed with soredia, soredia abundant, fine to coarse, up to 500 µm in diam.; soredia not well separated from each-other; isidia-like structures absent. Photobiont chlorococcoid, 10-12 µm in diam.
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Chemistry
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Usnic acid, zeorin, isousnic acid (trace). K–, C–, KC–, Pd–.
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Remarks
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Zedda (2000b) described Lecanora leuckertiana as very similar to Lepraria vouauxii, but provisionally included the new species in Lecanora because of its chemistry. At that time genus Lepraria did not comprise any usnic acid producing species, following the concept of Laundon (1992, 2003). However, Sipman (2003) placed the newly described L. usnica with usnic acid in Lepraria arguing that this character alone is not sufficient for determination at generic level. Subsequently L. coriensis, L. ecorticata were transferred from Lecanora (Sipman 2004, Kukwa 2006a) and L. texta described (Knudsen & Elix 2008). Taking into account these developments, the authors consider the transfer of L. leuckertiana appropriate. Still, the phylogenetic relationships of the afforementioned species should be clarified using molecular methods in the future.
Chemically similar taxa to L. leuckertiana – L. coriensis, L. ecorticata, L. straminea, L. texta and L. usnica that produce usnic acid and usually zeorin – differ in following aspects. L. straminea has corticate granules. L. ecorticata has no medulla (or rarely it is weakly developed and present in patches) and its soredia are well separated from each-other. L. texta also has no medulla. L. coriensis and L. usnica have better developed lobes and thinner or no medulla. L. vouauxii may be very similar morphologically but differs in chemistry.
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Ecology and distribution
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Substrate and ecology: tree bark, sometimes soil; humid, open, well-lit places. Distribution: Europe, North Africa, South America (Peru).
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