ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Caloplaca aptrootii (Teloschistaceae), a new blastidiate species with a dark-brown squamulose thallus from the Bolivian Andes
1
W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46,
31-512 Kraków, Poland
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Submission date: 2026-06-22
Acceptance date: 2026-07-15
Online publication date: 2026-07-31
Publication date: 2026-07-31
Plant and Fungal Systematics 2026; 71(1): 223-231
KEYWORDS
biodiversitylichen-forming funginew combinationnew speciesphylogenySouth Americatropical Andesvegetative propagules
ABSTRACT
Caloplaca aptrootii is described as a new species based on morphological,
anatomical, and molecular evidence. Phylogenetic analyses of a three-locus dataset (ITS,
nuLSU, and mtSSU) place it within Caloplaca s.str. in the subfamily Caloplacoideae.
Morphologically, the species fits well within the current circumscription of the genus, being
characterized by a thallus containing the Sedifolia-grey pigment rather than anthraquinones,
lecanorine apothecia, and the presence of blastidia. It is, however, unusual in possessing
a distinctly squamulose thallus. The new species most closely resembles C. chlorina, but
differs in having a thicker, squamulose thallus, a thicker thalline cortex, a distinct epinecral
layer, and larger ascospores. The species inhabits high Andean vegetation, where it grows
on siliceous rock outcrops. Additionally, a revised checklist of crustose Teloschistaceae
species known from Bolivia is presented, and the new combination Lacrima erythrantha
is proposed. Further records of the latter species from Bolivia are provided.
FUNDING
This research was financially supported by the
National Science Centre of Poland (NCN, grant no. N N303
821740, provided to K.W.), and by the statutory funds of the
W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences.
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