Bactrospora angularis
Bactrospora angularis is a species of corticolous, crustose lichen of uncertain familial placement in the order Arthoniales. It is found in Brazil, where it grows on the smooth bark of trees in high-altitude forest regions. It was formally described as a new species in 2015.
Taxonomy
Bactrospora angularis was described as a new species by the lichenologists Priscylla Sobreira, André Aptroot, and Marcela Cáceres. The type specimen was collected in 2013 from Brejo dos Cavalos, located in Caruaru, Pernambuco, Brazil. The lichen grows at an elevation of on tree bark and is associated with a high-altitude forest ecosystem known as. The species name, angularis, refers to the irregular shape of the apothecia.Description
The thallus of Bactrospora angularis is crustose and has a slightly shiny, greyish-green surface. It adheres closely to the bark and is bordered by a black line. Covering the thallus are filaments of green algae from the genus Trentepohlia, which may be either symbiotic or epiphytic. These filaments are long, unbranched, and slightly rough, with ellipsoid algal cells embedded within the lichen's structure.The reproductive structures, or apothecia, are numerous and vary in shape. They are typically irregular, round, or elongated, with a diameter of 0.2–0.5 mm. The apothecial is flat and chocolate brown, surrounded by a thin margin of the same colour. The, the outer layer of the apothecia, is and chemically unreactive to iodine and potassium hydroxide tests.
The hymenium, which is the fertile layer where spores are produced, is 200–250 μm tall and contains unbranched paraphyses. Asci measure 180–200 by 18–26 μm and typically contain eight each. The ascospores are long and thread-like, with 19–35 internal partitions. They measure 85–150 by 5–7 μm, are hyaline, and show some constrictions. No pycnidia or secondary chemical compounds were observed in this species.