Nord. J. Bot.

- Section of mycology

Chalara lichenicola n. sp. (Deuteromycotina), a lichenicolous

hyphomycete from Svalbard
M. Skytte Christiansen

Christiansen, M. S. 1993. Chalara lichenicola n. sp. (Deuteromycotina), a lichen-

icolous hyphomycete from Svalbard. - Nord. J. Bot. 13: 309-312. Copenhagen. ISSN
0107-055X.

The new species, Chalara lichenicola, is characterized by its diminutive, pale brown,
20-47 pm long phialophores arising without any superficial mycelium from the basal
parts of the podetium of the lichen Cladonia gracilis as well as from the immature
basidiomata of a Tremella sp., likewise parasitic (or saprophytic?) on the same
podetia. The phialoconidia are hyaline, unicellular, cylindrical with truncate ends.
2 . 5 4 . 0 X 0.5-0.8 pm. It is the first lichenicolous hyphomycete to be included in the
form-genus Chalara.

M . S . Christiansen, Central Botanical Library of the University of Copenhagen, Sglv-

gade 83, DK-1307 Copenhagen K , Denmark.

ever, so small, that it was hardly possible to detect

Introduction
The fungus in question was discovered by chance by the
author, while he was inspecting a slide made of the
basidiomata of a Tremella sp., recognizable as tiny
brown specks, 0.10-0.40 mm wide, on the basal parts of
the podetia of Cladonia gracilis (L.) Willd.
The material was collected in Svalbard by the Polish
lichenologist Maria Olech during her participation in
the Polish Scientific Spitsbergen Expeditions. Together
with her Danish colleague Vagn Alstrup, she called my
attention to these spots on the podetia in order to hear
my opinion of the supposed Tremella sp.
Unfortunately the basidiomata contained only imma-
ture probasidia, and consequently it was not possible to
make a complete account of the interesting Tremella
species, which has to await its description until better
developed basidiomata are found.
When studying the slide once more I became aware of
diminutive “needles” (i.e. phialophores of the new
Chalara sp.) protruding from the basidiomata. Later I
made sections of podetia without any basidiomata and
found similar phialophores protruding obliquely from
the surface of the podetia. The phialophores were, how-
them, when the podetia were studied under a dissecting
microscope at 25 x magnification.
The material at disposal included only a few frag-
ments of dried podetia, and for that reason the knowl-
edge of the new Chalara species leaves something to be
desired, especially a study of a living culture is missing.
The species is, however, well characterized by the small
size of its phialophores and by its biology as a lichen-
icolous fungus, and for that reason it might be worth
while publishing a description of it, even if it is in-
complete.
A lichenicolous habit has not until now been reported
for. any species of the form-genus Chalara, neither
among the species mentioned in the monograph by Nag
Raj & Kendrick (1975), nor for the twenty or so species
published since that time.
Methods
The new species of Chalara has been studied partly with
the aid of squash mounts made of material previously

Accepted 8-10-1992
0 NORDIC JOURNAL OF BOTANY
NORD. J. BOT. 13: 309-312

Nord. J. Bot. 13 (3) (1993) 309

Fig. 1. Chuluru lichenicolu. - A. Free phialospore, 0.8 X 2.9
pm. - B-D. Phialophores arising from the surface of the pode-
tium of Cladonia gracilis. Bar = 10 pm. - B. Branched, 1-
septate phialophore (cp. Fig. 3C). The intermediate cell sup-
porting the phialophore issues from the lumen of one of the
strongly conglutinated, thick-walled, tubular cortical cells of
the lichen (Slide 91.293: Freezing microtome section, 25 pm,
neg. no. 91.314). - C. Unbranched, 1-septate phialophore
(Slide 91.295, as above, neg. no. 91.319). - D. Unbranched,
3-septate phialophore showing percurrent proliferation. The
supporting cell of the phialophore does likewise issue from the
lumen of one of the cortical cells, and it appears, that the
supporting cell has been arrested in the process of putting forth
another phialophore (Slide 91.293, as above, neg. no. 91.316).
softened in a 10% solution of KOH, partly with the aid
of freezing microtome sections made on a Leitz Kryo-
mat. The preparations were mounted in lactophenol
with addition of trypan blue and photographed with a
Reichert Zetopan microscope provided with photoauto-
matic equipment. Drawings were made with the aid of a
camera lucida or based on enlarged photographs.
Chalara lichenicola M. S. Christ. n. sp.
Colonia inconspicua ex phialophoris disseminatis con-
stans, sine mycelio externo. Phialophora pallide brun-
nea, 1-3-septata, pariete laevi, 20-47 pm longa, phiali-
dem terminalem inclusa. Phialides lageniformes, 14-27
ym longae; venter 3.5-5.5 pm latus; collum cylindra-
ceum, 1.5-2.0 ym latum, transitio ex ventre ad collum
gradatim. Phialoconidia cylindracea, unicellularia, hya-
lina, 0.5-0.8 x 2.5-4.0 pm.
Type. Svalbard. Spitsbergen, below the pass Hohenlo-
heskgrdet, elev. ab. 40 m. 11 July 1985, leg. Maria
Olech. Holotypus in KRA, slides in C (herb. M. Skytte
Christiansen no. 6325).
310
Fig. 2. Phialophores of Chularu lichenicolu arising from the
immature basidiomata of Tremella sp. growing on the podetia
of Cladonia gracilis (see also Fig. 3D and Fig. 4). Bar = 10 pm.
- A. Unbranched, 2-septate phialophore with a conidium pro-
truding from the collarette (Slide 91.297: Squashed freezing
microtome section, 50 pm, neg. no. 91.334). - B. Phialophore
with 3 phialides (cf. Fig. 4). The wall of the phialophore is
strongly thickened. It appears, that the phialide to the left is
issued through the side of the phialide in the middle (Slide
91.281: Squash preparation, neg. no. 91.247). -C. Phialophore
with a branch through the side of the phialide (cp. Fig. 3D, the
phialophore to the right). (Slide 91.298: Squashed freezing
microtome section, 50 pm, neg. no. 91.352).
Colonies very inconspicuous, consisting of disseminated
phialophores, no external mycelium present. The phia-
lophores arise singly or more rarely by twos or threes
from a very thin-walled, hyaline mycelium, 1-2 ym
wide. This mycelium spreads either in the cortical and
gonidial layers of the basal parts of the podetia of the
lichen Cladonia gracilis or in the gelatinous basidiomata
of a Trernellu sp. These still immature basidiomata form
small, dome-shaped, brownish specks, 0.10-0.40 mm
wide, on the surface of the podetia. It is impossible to
decide, whether the mycelium passing through the
above mentioned basidiomata originates in the basi-
dioma or in the Cladonia podetium below the basi-
dioma.
The phialophores'protrude mostly at an oblique angle
to the surface of their substratum, and consequently
they are seldom seen in their entirety in thin sections of
the host lichen. They originate from a turbinate inter-
mediate cell, which is hyaline and forms a continuation
of the vegetative mycelium. This intermediate cell is
rather thick-walled at its distal end, where it supports
N o d J . Bot. 13 (3) (1993)
Fig. 3. Phialophores of Chalara lichenicola. - A. Unbranched phialophore arising from the cortex of a podetium of Cladoniu
gracilis. The supporting mycelium of the phialophore appears to reach through the cortex and into the gonidial layer of the
podetium ( 1 5 0 0 ~ Slide
. 91.301: Freezing microtome section, 50 pm, neg. no. 91.378). - B. Section of a podetium of Cladoniu
gracilis with several phialophores of Chalara lichenicola. Almost all of these phialophores are cut crosswise, as they mostly
protrude at an oblique angle to the surface of the substratum (585X. Slide 91.291: Freezing microtome section, 25 pm, neg. no.
91.282). - C. The same branched phialophore as the one drawn in Fig. 1B (1500x. Slide 91.293: Freezing microtome section, 25
pm, neg. no. 91.314). - D. Phialophores protruding from an immature basidioma of Tremella sp. growing on a podetium of
Cladonia gracilis. To the left is seen a pair of phialophores arising from the same supporting cell. To the ri ht two single
phialophores, one of which has a branch proliferating from the phialide (drawn at greater magnification in Fig. 2 8 ) ( 5 8 5 ~Slide
.
91.298: Squashed freezing microtome section, 50 pm,neg. no. 91.342).

Fig. 4. Branched conidiophore of Chalara lichenicola protrud-
ing from an immature basidioma of Tremella sp., growing on a
podetium of Cladonia gracilis (cp. Fig. 2B) ( 1 5 0 0 ~ .Slide
91.291: Squash preparation, neg. no. 91.247).
312
the phialophore, while it tapers into the narrow, thin-
walled vegetative mycelium towards the interior of the
substratum. Occasionally two phialophores may arise
from the same intermediate cell. The phialophore is
1-3-septate, 20-47 pm long, with smooth, pale brown
wall. The lowermost cell of the phialophore may have a
paler brown or completely hyaline wall. The top cell of
the phialophore is a lageniform phialide, 3.5-5.5 pm
wide at its broadest part, gradually narrowning to a
cylindrical, 1S 2 . 0 pm wide collarette. Occasionally the
phialophore branches, ending in two or three phialides.
Percurrent proliferation of the stalk of the phialophore
or of the phialide itself has been observed. Phialoconi-
dia hyaline, unicellular, cylindrical with truncate ends,
0.5-0.8 x 2.5-4.0 pm. They are presumably extruded
singly. - Figs 14.
Hubitut. On the basal parts of the podetia of Cfudoniu
grucifis (L.) Willd., partly growing also on the immature
basidiomata of a Tremella sp., likewise parasitic (or
saprophytic) on the same podetia.
Acknowledgements - The author gratefully acknowledges the
help received from his fellow-lichenologists Maria Olech and
Vagn Alstrup, who placed the material at his disposal. Further-
more he wishes to thank professor Nag Raj for advice and
encouragement concerning the study of the new species, and
his colleague at The Botanical Library in Copenhagen, Peter
Wagner, for help with the Latin diagnosis.
Reference
Nag Raj, T. R. & Kendrick, B. 1975. A Monograph of Chalara
and Allied Genera. - Wilfrid Laurier University Press,
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Nord. J . Bot. 13 ( 3 ) (1993)