Licea eremophila, a new myxomycete from arid areas of South America

Abstract

A new stipitate species of myxomycete of the genus Licea is described based on material from arid areas in Argentina and Chile. It was isolated from moist chamber cultures and found fruiting on field collections, usually on the same substrate, Puya sp. (Bromeliaceae). It differs from all described species in the genus in that it has stipitate sporocarps with dehiscence by defined preformed platelets and a smooth inner peridial surface. The new species has polyhedral, yellow spores with a uniform thick spore wall and dense warts except on irregularly dispersed raised bands with fewer warts, visible by SEM, an ornamentation not previously observed in the genus. Life-cycle events are described and illustrated, from germination to sporulation, based on moist chamber and agar cultures. The morphology of the myxomycete specimens was examined with scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy, and both light and SEM micrographs of relevant details are included.

• Andes
• deserts
• ecology
• life cycle
• Mycetozoa
• Puya
• succulenticolous species
• taxonomy

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain (project CGL2005-00320/BOS and CGL2008-00720/BOS). We are very grateful for the help of Dr Edward Haskins (University of Washington, USA) who made valuable comments on culture techniques and Dr Javier Fernández Casas (Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Spain) for his help with the Latin description.