Biatora meiocarpa (Nyl.) Arnold,a misunderstood species

Abstract:Biatora meiocarpa (Nyl.) Arnold (Lecanorales, lichenized Ascomycotina) is described and compared with some of its relatives, particularly B. helvola Körber ex Hellborn (syn. Lecidea helvola), a species with which it has often been confused. Biatora meiocarpa and B. helvola differ in (1) width of the paraphysis tops, (2) hymenium height, (3) apothecium width, (4) gelatinization of the paraphyses, (5) composition of the excipulum (hyphae with ellipsoid or shortly rectangular lumina in B. meiocarpa, narrowly linear lumina in B. helvola), (6) chemistry (1-2 triterpenoids or no substances in B. meiocarpa, gyrophoric acid plus 1-2 triterpenoids in B. helvola), and (7) length and shape of conidia. The variation in the first three characters overlaps but one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows that B. meiocarpa and B. helvola differ significantly in each of these characters. Three further characters were subjected to ANOVA: spore length, spore width and length/width ratio of the spores. No statistically significant differences were observed in these characters. Biatora meiocarpa generally occurs on smooth bark of broad-leaved trees and shrubs. It is known from northern Sweden, Finland, and northwestern Russia.