Photobiont composition of some taxa of the genera Micarea and Placynthiella (Lecanoromycetes, lichenized Ascomycota) from Ukraine

Abstract

The photobionts of 22 specimens of Placynthiella and Micarea genera were identified. The photobionts of Placynthiella dasaea (Stirt.) Khodosovtsev, P. icmalea (Ach.) Coppins & P. James, Micarea melanobola (Nyl.) Coppins and M. misella (Nyl.) Hedl. are reported for the first time. This is also the first report about Elliptochloris reniformis (Watanabe) Ettl & Gärtner, E. subsphaerica (Reisigl) Ettl & Gärtner, Interfilum spp. and Neocystis sp. as the photobionts of lichens. The mycobiont of some taxa of Micarea and Placynthiella can be associated with several algae at the same time. In this case, one is the primary photobiont (common for all lichen specimens of a certain lichen species) while the others are additional algae which vary depending on the substratum or the habitat. Elliptochloris and Pseudococcomyxa species are primary photobionts for the studied taxa of the genus Micarea. The species of Radiococcuus and Pseudochlorella are primary photobionts of the studied species of Placynthiella. For all investigated lichens the low selectivity level of the mycobiont is assumed.