{{Short description|Species of lichen}} {{Speciesbox | image = | image_caption = | taxon = Biatora pacifica | authority = Printzen, Tønsberg & G.Thor (2016) }}

'''''Biatora pacifica''''' is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It is found in Russia, Japan, and South Korea, where it grows along the Pacific coast. It inhabits the bark of a variety of coniferous and deciduous plants.

==Taxonomy== The species was formally described as new to science in 2016 by lichenologists Christian Printzen, Tor Tønsberg, and Göran Thor. The type specimen was collected on Moneron Island (Nevelsky District, Sakhalin) at an elevation between {{convert|150|and|200|m|ft|abbr=on}}; there, the lichen was found growing on bark at the base of an old ''Abies sachalinensis'' tree. The species epithet ''pacifica'' refers to its distribution along the Pacific Coast.<ref name="Printzen et al. 2016"/>

==Description== The whitish to greenish-grey thallus surface of ''Biatora pacifica'' is thick, rough, and crumbling, (''tartareous'') with warts, and in rare instances forms areoles that are 0.1–0.25&nbsp;mm in diameter. It lacks a visible hypothallus, as well as the vegetative propagules isidia and soredia. The photobiont partner of the lichen is chlorococcoid (i.e., green algae with a coccoid or spherical shape), with individual algal cells measuring 5–13&nbsp;μm in diameter. Apothecia are typically abundant and occur singly on the thallus. They are usually about 0.42–0.80&nbsp;mm in diameter (with an observed maximum of 1.6&nbsp;mm). The disc is dark grey or olive brown, flat to slightly convex, and roughly the same level as the apothecial margin. Asci contains eight spores and are of the ''Biatora''-type. The ascospores are usually colourless and most lack a septum (rarely, some spores have a single septum), with typical dimensions of 9.6–12.1 by 3.0 –3.5&nbsp;μm.<ref name="Printzen et al. 2016"/>

Thin-layer chromatography revealed the presence of an unidentified xanthone compounds in ''Biatora pacifica'' Also, an unidentified olive-green pigment is present in the apothecial tissue.<ref name="Printzen et al. 2016"/>

The authors notes a resemblance to ''Ivanpisutia oxneri'', but that species has smaller ascospores and a different chemistry. They proposed that ''Biatora pacifica'' is an esorediate (i.e., lacking soredia) counterpart of ''Biatora pontica'', although this suggestion awaits corroboration with DNA evidence.<ref name="Printzen et al. 2016"/>

==Habitat and distribution== ''Biatora pacifica'' grows on the bark of trees, including ''Abies koreana'', ''A.&nbsp;sachalinensis'', ''Acer mono'', ''Acer palmatum'', ''Quercus crispula'', ''Q.&nbsp;dentata'' as well as species of ''Alnus'', ''Magnolia'', and ''Salix''. It is distributed along the Pacific coasts of Russia, Japan, and South Korea. In the latter country, it was found at elevations from {{convert|700|to|1600|m|ft|abbr=on}}, while in the other locales it has been found at elevations between sea level and {{convert|600|m|ft|abbr=on}}.

==References== {{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="Printzen et al. 2016">{{cite journal |last1=Printzen |first1=Christian |first2=Josef P. |last2=Halda |first3=John W. |last3=McCarthy |first4=Zdeněk |last4=Palice |first5=Pamela |last5=Rodriguez-Flakus |first6=Göran |last6=Thor |first7=Tor |last7=Tønsberg |first8=Jan |last8=Vondrák |year=2016 |title=Five new species of ''Biatora'' from four continents |journal=Herzogia |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=566–585 |url=http://www.jjh.cz/jphbib/490.pdf}}</ref>

}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q107522661}}

pacifica Category:Lichen species Category:Lichens described in 2016 Category:Lichens of Asia Category:Taxa named by Göran Thor Category:Taxa named by Tor Tønsberg Category:Taxa named by Christian Printzen