''Waynea algarvensis'' is a rare species of corticolous (bark-dwelling)

squamulose lichen A squamulose lichen is a lichen that is composed of small, often overlapping "scales" called squamules. If they are raised from the substrate and appear leafy, the lichen may appear to be a foliose lichen, but the underside does not have a "ski ...

in the family

Ramalinaceae The Ramalinaceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. The family name is synonymous with the name ''Bacidiaceae''. Species of this family have a widespread distribution. Genera *''Aciculopsora'' *''Adelolecia'' *'' Arthro ...

. Native to the

Algarve The Algarve (, , ; from ) is the southernmost NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities ( ''concelhos'' or ''municípios'' in Portuguese). The region has it ...

province in Portugal, it was formally described as a new species in 2012. Closely related to '' Waynea cretica'', this lichen is characterized by its minute

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 ...

parts and

fusiform Fusiform means having a spindle-like shape that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends. It is similar to the lemon-shape, but often implies a focal broadening of a structure that continues from one or both ends, such as an aneurysm on a b ...

(spindle-shaped) . Found primarily on

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

trees, this lichen forms part of understudied

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

communities in the region.

Taxonomy

The lichen was formally described by Dutch lichenologist Pieter van den Boom. The

species name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''algarvensis'' refers to the

province of southern Portugal, where 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 discovered. The type was found in a field on an ''

Olea europaea The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

'' tree near

Lagos, Portugal Lagos (; literally "lakes"; cel-x-proto, Lacobriga) is a city and municipality at the mouth of Bensafrim River and along the Atlantic Ocean, in the Barlavento region of the Algarve, in southern Portugal. The population of the municipality in 201 ...

Description

''Waynea algarvensis'' features a corticolous thallus, which is minutely and up to 5 mm wide. The are plane to slightly convex and appressed. The species is similar to '' Waynea cretica'' but can be distinguished by its smaller thallus parts, diameter, and the shape and septation of its ascospores. The apothecia are abundant and vary in size from 0.15 to 0.5 mm in diameter, with ascospores that are

and usually 3-4-septate (more rarely, as few as 0 or as many as 5 septa), measuring 15–25 by 2–2.5

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 ...

. The are , measuring 9–12 by 0.9–1.1 μm. ''Waynea algarvensis'' is often overlooked due to its small size and can be easily confused with ''Waynea cretica'', which also has small appressed squamules. However, the ascospores of ''W. cretica'' are acicular, 5-7 septate, and measure 30–45 by 1.5–2 μm. The chemistry of the two species is not different, as both lack any chemical substances. ''Waynea algarvensis'' also resembles '' Bacidia igniarii'' in terms of its small apothecia, thin greyish-brown thallus, and 3-septate ascospores, but ''B. igniarii'' has always black apothecia and somewhat shorter and wider ascospores.

Habitat and distribution

''Waynea algarvensis'' is native to the Algarve province in southwestern Portugal, where it inhabits

lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of ...

coastal regions at altitudes between . The species is exclusively found on olive trees within epiphytic communities that are relatively poor in lichen diversity. Despite the abundance of potential habitats in the Algarve region, ''Waynea algarvensis'' has been found in only two locations, suggesting that it is a rare species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q29573567 Ramalinaceae Lichen species Lichens described in 2012 Lichens of Europe