''Parmotrema upretii'' is a species of
saxicolous (rock-dwelling),
foliose lichen
Foliose lichen is one of the morphological classes of lichens, which are complex organisms that arise from the symbiotic relationship between fungi and a photosynthetic partner, typically algae. This partnership allows lichen to live in diverse ...
in the family
Parmeliaceae
The Parmeliaceae is a large and diverse family of Lecanoromycetes. With over 2700 species in 71 genera, it is the largest family of lichen-forming fungi. The most speciose genera in the family are the well-known groups: '' Xanthoparmelia'' ( 822 ...
.
Found in India, it was
described as new to science in 2003 by Pradeep Divakar. The
type specimen
In biology, a type is a particular wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to a ...
was collected near
Banjar in the
Kullu district of
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
, India at an altitude of , where it was found growing on rock. The
species epithet honours Indian
lichenologist , who collected the type specimen.
Description
The lichen has a
thallus
Thallus (plural: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. Many of these organisms wer ...
that is loosely attached, measuring around in diameter. The are circular, ranging from in width and around 150–170
μm
The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...
in thickness. The margins are smooth and lack . The upper surface is mineral grey in color, smooth, without any visible spots or marks, and has a lobulate-isidiate texture. The are present on the lamina, and in some cases, near the margins. Initially, they are granular and have black tips, resembling isidia. However, they soon become flat, , and horizontal. The size of the lobules can be up to 1.5 mm in width and 1 mm in height, with more or less dichotomously divided margins and no cilia. The
medulla is white, around 75–100 μm thick. The lower surface is black and smooth. The margin of the lower surface measures approximately 4–6 mm wide and has a shiny, rhizine-free, pale brown zone. The center of the lower surface is sparsely rhizinate, and the rhizines are black, , and up to 1 mm long, present in the center. There is no visible sign of
apothecia and
pycnidia.
and
gyrophoric acid
Gyrophoric acid is a depside that can be found in the lichen ''Cryptothecia rubrocincta'' and in ''Xanthoparmelia pokomyi''. It can also be found in most of the species of the '' Actinogyra'', ''Lasallia'', and ''Umbilicaria'' genera
Genus ( p ...
are two
lichen products that occur in ''Parmotrema upretii''. The expected results of chemical
spot tests are K+ (yellow) in the
cortex, and K−, C+ (red), KC+ (red) and P− in the medulla.
Habitat and distribution
''Parmotrema upretii'' has been observed to grow exclusively on rocks in areas with high exposure,
at elevations between approximately . In addition to
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
, it has also been recorded in
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
.
See also
*
List of ''Parmotrema'' species
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10620962
upretii
Lichen species
Lichens described in 2003
Lichens of India
Taxa named by Pradeep Kumar Divakar