Two New Species of Lichenicolous Fungus Sclerococcum (Dactylosporaceae, Sclerococcales) from India

Abstract

Two new species of Sclerococcum, viz. S. dendriscostictae and S. physciae, colonising members of Dendriscosticta, Physcia and Sticta, are described from Uttarakhand and Andhra Pradesh states of India, respectively. S. dendriscostictae colonising the host thallus as well as apothecial disc of Dendriscosticta and Sticta species is generally characterised by its small sized (0.1–0.4 mm) black apothecia, hyaline hymenium, paraphyses without dark apical caps, asci 8-spored, ascospores ellipsoid, hyaline at immature stage and brown at maturity, 1-septate, smooth walled, 9–10–11(–12) × (3–)3.8–5–6.1(–7) µm, while S. physciae colonising thallus of Physcia sp. is characterised by black, rounded to irregular sporodochia (40–100 µm diam.) having ellipsoid or angular, medium to dark brown, mostly simple, rarely 1-septate conidia [(5–)7.5– 10–11.7(–14) × (4–)4.7–5.8–6.9(–7) µm]. A key to known Indian taxa is also being provided.