CAMANCHACA, A NEW GENUS OF ROCCELLACEAE (ARTHONIALES, LOCULOASCOMYCETIDAE) FROM THE ATACAMA DESERT, NORTH CHILE, SOUTH AMERICA

Abstract

  Camanchaca Follm. & Peine gen. nov. (aff. Follmanniella Peine & B. Wern.) is described as new genus of Roccellaceae (Arthoniales). It is based on C. corallina Follm. & Peine sp. nov. from the rocky coast of the Atacama Desert, North Chile, where also a second species, C. ligulata Peine & Follm., occurs. Camanchaca is unique among the other genera of the family with regard to the following characters: perennial crustose thalli bearing fragile, polymorphic, fruticose pseudopodetia, irregularly interwoven cortical and reticular medullary hyphae, accumulation of considerable amounts of psoromic acid, ascomata and conidiomata often united to synascomata and synconidiomata, the first appearing as multiascal, pluricarpocentral, lecanorine discothecia of the Roccella-type, the second being protrusive and corresponding to the acervular Lecanactis-type. The chorological, sociological, ecological and developmental attributes of the new taxa are outlined. Roccella babingtonii Mont., R. difficilis Darb., R. dubia Darb. and R. montagnei Bél. should be deleted from the catalogue of Chilean lichens. However, with five endemic genera and 31 endemic species, the Atacama coastland holds its position as the primary diversity centre of the Roccellaceae s. str.