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Previous studies have identified a close relationship between the monospecific Masonhalea richardsonii and Tuckermannopsis inermis. However, formal taxonomic changes were postponed until existing sequence data could be confirmed. Here we validate these data and discuss the transfer of T. inermis to Masonhalea (made by Lumbsch et al. in Thell & Moberg 2011), consider the morphological, anatomical and biogeographic similarities and differences between these two taxa. The two Masonhalea species both produce lateral apothecia, marginal pycnidia, a layer of cortical tissue beneath the pycnidial wall and bacillariform conidia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The largest family of lichen-forming fungi, the Parmeliaceae, is reviewed. It includes 79 genera in current use and ca 2726 species, a large majority of which belong to one of five main clades: the parmelioid, cetrarioid, usneoid, alectorioid and hypogymnioid. However, 21 genera are positioned outside these clades, and four genera in current use still lack DNA- data. The family has been shown to be monophyletic and the generic classification is relatively well-settled compared with other lecanoralean families. Each clade and its genera are presented here with the latest results from phylogenetic analyses and current taxonomy. In addition, a historical outline of the family and its most prominent researchers is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fourteen genera belong to a monophyletic core of cetrarioid lichens, Ahtiana, Allocetraria, Arctocetraria, Cetraria, Cetrariella, Cetreliopsis, Flavocetraria, Kaernefeltia, Masonhalea, Nephromopsis, Tuckermanella, Tuckermannopsis, Usnocetraria and Vulpicida. A total of 71 samples representing 65 species (of 90 worldwide) and all type species of the genera are included in phylogentic analyses based on a complete ITS matrix and incomplete sets of group I intron, β-tubulin, GAPDH and mtSSU sequences. Eleven of the species included in the study are analysed phylogenetically for the first time, and of the 178 sequences, 67 are newly constructed. Two phylogenetic trees, one based solely on the complete ITS-matrix and a second based on total information, are similar, but not entirely identical. About half of the species are gathered in a strongly supported clade composed of the genera Allocetraria, Cetraria s. str., Cetrariella and Vulpicida. Arctocetraria, Cetreliopsis, Kaernefeltia and Tuckermanella are monophyletic genera, whereas Cetraria, Flavocetraria and Tuckermannopsis are polyphyletic. The taxonomy in current use is compared with the phylogenetic results, and future, probable or potential adjustments to the phylogeny are discussed. The single non-DNA character with a strong correlation to phylogeny based on DNA-sequences is conidial shape. The secondary chemistry of the poorly known species Cetraria annae is analyzed for the first time; the cortex contains usnic acid and atranorin, whereas isonephrosterinic, nephrosterinic, lichesterinic, protolichesterinic and squamatic acids occur in the medulla. Notes on the anatomy of Cetraria annae and Flavocetraria minuscula are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the interaction between main bionts (mycobiont and photobiont) in the lichen symbiosis delivers substantial information about their preferences in the selection of symbiotic partners, and their ecological preferences. The selectivity in the Parmelia genus has been defined as strong so far. However, data on this lichen genus, which includes several widely distributed species, are biogeographically limited. Therefore, using specialization indicators and extended sampling, in this study, we estimated the interactions between the main bionts of selected Parmelia spp., using two levels of estimation (species/OTU and haplotype). A comparison of mycobiont-photobiont interactions at different levels showed that considering only mycobiont species and Trebouxia OTUs, greater specialization is found, while Parmelia species studied in this work present a more generalistic strategy in photobiont choice when haplotypes are considered. Despite the uneven sampling of Parmelia species, the interpretation of specialization within species and individuals of the genus leads to a more precise and accurate interpretation of their adaptation strategies. Furthermore, the data from P. sulcata indicate the existence of a different pool of compatible haplotypes in some geographical regions compared to neighboring areas. This observation suggests the potential influence of climatic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lichenicolous fungi associated with Xanthoria calcicola s. lat. are studied in southernmost Scandinavia, i.e., Skåne, the southernmost province in Sweden and southern Denmark. Two species, Didymocyrtis slaptoensis and Pyrenochaeta xanthoriae, are reported as new for the Nordic countries, whereas three species, Didymocyrtis cf. consimilis, Erythricium aurantiacum, and Illosporiopsis christiansenii are recorded for the first time from Skåne. New localities for rare lichenicolous fungi from southern Scandinavia and southernmost Denmark are also listed. Notes on the taxonomy and ecology of Telogalla olivieri and Pyrenochaeta xanthoriae are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Here, cyanobiont selectivity of epiphytic lichen species was examined in an old growth forest area in Finland. • Samples of the eight lichen species were collected from the same aspen ( Populus tremula) and adjacent aspens in the same stand. The cyanobionts of these samples were compared with free and symbiotic Nostoc obtained from other habitats and geographic regions. • Our results, based on the phylogenetic analysis of a partial small subunit of the ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) and the rbcLX gene complex did not show any correlation with the geographic origin of the samples at any spatial scale. Instead, there was a correlation between the cyanobionts and the alleged taxonomy of their mycobionts. • The results indicate that the lichen species examined are highly selective towards their cyanobiont partners. Only Lobaria pulmonaria proved to be more flexible, being able to associate with a wide range of Nostoc. A same Nostoc strain was found to form associations with taxonomically unrelated lichens indicating that the cyanobiont–mycobiont associations as a whole were not highly specific in the examined species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic relationships and levels of geographic differentiation of two closely related bipolar taxa, Cladonia arbuscula and Cladonia mitis, were cladistically examined with ITS regions, SSU rDNA introns, partial β-tubulin, and partial glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) genes. In the combined analysis of the four genes, C. arbuscula was paraphyletic, while C. mitis, nested within C. arbuscula, formed a strongly supported monophyletic group. C. arbuscula samples were divided into three separate clades: “arbuscula I,” appearing as basal to the other ingroup taxa, “arbuscula II,” and “arbuscula III” (the latter represented by only one specimen), which were not correlated with any morphological trait. Only C. mitis specimens formed a morphologically and chemically distinct group. None of the main clades was correlated with geographic origin. The separate analyses were poorly resolved, and in most cases samples from “arbuscula I,” “arbuscula II,” and “arbuscula III” clades were intermixed. An incongruence test revealed conflict among the four gene regions in almost all cases. Only ITS regions and introns were not significantly incongruent, suggesting lack of recombination within the ribosomal DNA locus. Incomplete lineage sorting and recombination were considered to be the main reasons accounting for the incongruencies. The high proportion of shared polymorphisms between the “arbuscula I” and “arbuscula II” clades, especially found from the β-tubulin gene and from the ITS regions, and the lack of corroborating morphological characters both indicate a short history of reproductive isolation among the groups. The lack of genetic differentiation among the northern and southern samples within the main clades indicates a relatively recent gene flow, which may have resulted from migrations during the Pleistocene glaciations or from more recent long-distance dispersal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The group of cetrarioid lichens with globose ascospores includes 37 species from eight genera. Phylogenetic analysis, using program PAUP 3.1.1, was carried out on two different data sets — morphological (incl. anatomical and chemical) and molecular characters (ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2 rDNA sequences) — to verify the correspondence of current taxonomy to the probable evolution of the taxa involved. The paraphyletic nature of the genus Allocetraria in regard to two species of Dactylina is assumed based on morphological characters. Still, the separation of these genera is strongly supported by the analysis of molecular data. The genus Tuckermannopsis (11 species) is paraphyletic in regard to Esslingeriana idahoensis and "Nephromopsis" weii. Monophyletic origin can be declared only for the Tuckermannopsis ciliaris group. The analysis based on molecular characters exhibits the monophyletic origin of the group including three Tuckneraria species. Monophyly of the genus Ahtiana was not supported by the analysis of morphological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primers for amplification and sequencing of partial glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd) gene were designed for lichenized fungi. The 5′ gpd primer is most probably fungal specific, since a BLAST search in GenBank found identical sequences only from ascomycetous taxa, whereas the 3′ gpd primer was more universal. Utility of the gpd primers and previously designed beta-tubulin primers was tested in nine lichen taxa. Both the gpd and beta-tubulin primer pairs amplified in most of the taxa examined: the gpd primers generated a c. 1100 nucleotide fragment, whereas the PCR product obtained from the beta-tubulin primers was c. 900 nucleotides long. The gpd amplification products of Cladonia arbuscula and C. rangiferina were sequenced and both were found to contain three introns, the length of which varied between 49 to 83 nucleotides. To examine the applicability of gpd sequences in resolving relationships within Ascomycota, trees were calculated from 22 fungal gpd sequences obtained from GenBank together with the two Cladonia sequences using parsimony jackknifing. The gpd tree was compared with the SSU rDNA tree of the respective species (or genera). A similar analysis of the beta-tubulin gene was not performed, because only a few beta-tublin sequences from the same taxa were available in GenBank. The gpd tree was well resolved but in conflict with the SSU rDNA tree. In contrast to the SSU rDNA tree, the gpd tree did not support the monophyly of the Ascomycota. Analysis of the combined data set produced a tree very similar to that of the SSU rDNA data. However, the relationship of Lecanorales to the other orders remained unresolved. Even though gpd and beta-tubulin are highly conserved proteins, the third codon positions and introns are variable and both genes have the potential for inferring phylogenetic relationships at the lower taxonomic levels in the lichenized fungi. The two genes may be useful even below species level, depending on the species investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The past and present distribution of Lobaria pulmonaria in Denmark, northern Germany, northwestern Poland and nemoral parts of Skåne, Blekinge, southwesternmost Småland and southern Öland (Sweden) has been studied. Of 124 localities visited between 2015 and 2018, L. pulmonaria was confirmed at 64 sites, at each of which its habitat ecology and viability were investigated. It is almost extinct in Schleswig-Holstein, in southern Jutland, on the Danish Islands, in southwestern Skåne, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and in the western part of Pomerania. It has disappeared almost completely from areas where mesophytic forests form the potential natural vegetation. The commonest habitats for L. pulmonaria are species-poor acidic beech and species-poor oak forests, and the commonest substrates are trunks of beech, followed by oak. L. pulmonaria specimens on about two thirds of the colonized trees were in a healthy condition. The situation is worst in Schleswig-Holstein and on the Danish Islands, but best in Blekinge and central and northern Jutland. Recent distribution seems to be influenced by both anthropogenic (e.g. air pollution by sulphur dioxide and nitrogen and forestry practices) and natural factors (precipitation, temperature, air humidity), as well as unnatural climatic factors (global warming). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edit Farkas and László Lőkös are internationally well known and respected Hungarian lichenologists. Th ey did their best to maintain and to develop several aspects of the Hungarian lichenology, including biodiversity research on lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi, taxonomic revisions based on morphological, chemical and molecular methods, ecological, ecophysiological and conservation biological research, as well as investigations on history of science and bibliographical compilations. Hungarian lichen herbaria were enriched considerably by their various Hungarian collections as well as collections from tropical, temperate Asian and Balkan areas. We shortly overview their scientific career and results publishing in more than 100 scientifi c papers, and similar amount of scientifi c and popular presentations. As key persons in traditional Hungarian lichenology, their keen and precise way of research might serve as a good example to their students and colleagues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lecanoromycetes is the largest class of lichenized Fungi, and one of the most species-rich classes in the kingdom. Here we provide a multigene phylogenetic synthesis (using three ribosomal RNA-coding and two protein-coding genes) of the Lecanoromycetes based on 642 newly generated and 3329 publicly available sequences representing 1139 taxa, 317 genera, 66 families, 17 orders and five subclasses (four currently recognized: Acarosporomycetidae, Lecanoromycetidae, Ostropomycetidae, Umbilicariomycetidae; and one provisionarily recognized, ‘Candelariomycetidae’). Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses on four multigene datasets assembled using a cumulative supermatrix approach with a progressively higher number of species and missing data (5-gene, 5 + 4-gene, 5 + 4 + 3-gene and 5 + 4 + 3 + 2-gene datasets) show that the current classification includes non-monophyletic taxa at various ranks, which need to be recircumscribed and require revisionary treatments based on denser taxon sampling and more loci. Two newly circumscribed orders (Arctomiales and Hymeneliales in the Ostropomycetidae) and three families (Ramboldiaceae and Psilolechiaceae in the Lecanorales, and Strangosporaceae in the Lecanoromycetes inc. sed.) are introduced. The potential resurrection of the families Eigleraceae and Lopadiaceae is considered here to alleviate phylogenetic and classification disparities. An overview of the photobionts associated with the main fungal lineages in the Lecanoromycetes based on available published records is provided. A revised schematic classification at the family level in the phylogenetic context of widely accepted and newly revealed relationships across Lecanoromycetes is included. The cumulative addition of taxa with an increasing amount of missing data (i.e., a cumulative supermatrix approach, starting with taxa for which sequences were available for all five targeted genes and ending with the addition of taxa for which only two genes have been sequenced) revealed relatively stable relationships for many families and orders. However, the increasing number of taxa without the addition of more loci also resulted in an expected substantial loss of phylogenetic resolving power and support (especially for deep phylogenetic relationships), potentially including the misplacements of several taxa. Future phylogenetic analyses should include additional single copy protein-coding markers in order to improve the tree of the Lecanoromycetes. As part of this study, a new module (“Hypha”) of the freely available Mesquite software was developed to compare and display the internodal support values derived from this cumulative supermatrix approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new species of Caloplaca, C. mallacootensis, C. montenegrensis, C. rexii, C. rossii, and C. subgyalectoides are described, illustrated and compared with closely related taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delimitation of two morphologically similar and not easily separable Vulpicida species, V. juniperinus and V. tubulosus, is analyzed using nuclear ITS and Mcm7, and mitochondrial SSU DNA sequences. Seventy-nine Vulpicida specimens, most from the two focal taxa, are included in the three-locus gene tree. The results from Bayesian and parsimony analyses are presented. There are strong conflicts between the single locus gene trees. Vulpicida juniperinus and V. tubulosus are divided into two clearly distinguished groups in the ITS and concatenated B/MCMC tree. However, these species are mixed in both clades, appearing polyphyletic. Currently accepted V. juniperinus and V. tubulosus are not distinct according to the loci studied. Vulpicida pinastri appears monophyletic based on the available sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports the results of lichenological investigations in Asveja Regional Park (eastern Lithuania). A large part of the study was performed during the joint 18th Symposium of the Baltic Mycologists and Lichenologists (BMLS) and Nordic Lichen Society (Nordisk Lichenologisk FOrening, NLF) meeting on 19-23 September 2011. A list of 259 species is presented. Of these, 30 species are new to Lithuania. Arthonia helvola, Bacidina sulphurella, Candelariella lutella, Catillaria croatica, Cladonia conista, Gyalecta derivata, Lecanora quercicola, Leptosphaeria ramalinae, Strigula jamesii, Trichonectria rubefaciens, Verrucaria banatica, V. boblensis, V. christiansenii, V. illinoisensis, V. inornata, V. nigrofusca, V. trabicola, Zwackhiomyces diederichii were recorded for the first time in the Baltic countries. New lichens to Lithuania are as follows: Bacidia incompta, Caloplaca crenulatella, C. pyracea, Catinaria atropurpurea, Lecanora populicola, L. semipallida, Mycobilimbia epixanthoides, Ramalina dilacerata, Verrucaria inaspecta, and new lichenicolous fungi are: Cladosporium licheniphilum, Stigmidium microspilum, Xenonectriella leptalea. Eighteen species included in the Lithuanian Red Data Book were recorded, which is the highest number known for any studied area in Lithuania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cetrarioid core group has been the focus of numerous taxonomic and phylogenetic studies in recent years, yet the phylogenetic resolution and support among these clades remains unclear. Here we use four commonly employed loci to estimate if their use increases phylogenetic resolution and support. The present study largely confirms the topologies of previous studies, but with increased support. Approximately half of the genera in the cetrarioid core were not monophyletic. Melanelia sorediella was clustered within Cetrariella, and the combination Cetrariella sorediella (Lettau) V. J. Rico & A. Thell comb. nov. is made. Additionally, the genus Flavocetrariella was supported as part of Nephromopsis and is considered to be a synonym of the latter. Finally, a comparison of genetic distances shows that the maximum intrageneric genetic distance encompassed by many cetrarioid genera is lower than that of many other genera in Parmeliaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new species of the genus Caloplaca, C. kiewkaensis L.S. Yakovczenko, I.A. Galanina & S.Y. Kondr., C. letrouitioides S.Y. Kondr., Elix & Kärnefelt, C. trassii I.A. Galanina & S.Y. Kondr., and C. ussuriensis Oxner, S.Y. Kondr. & Elix from Asia and Australia are described as new to science and compared with closely related species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces that Ingvar Kärnefelt celebrated his 65th birthday.

The selectivity of mycobionts and cyanobionts in lichen symbioses were examined. We analyzed symbiotic cyanobionts, collected from different sample sites, and compared them to free-living cyanobacteria Nostoc. Cyanobionts were obtained from lichens assigned to the genera Pseudocyphellaria and Sticta, in particular. Multiple gene loci were screened and direct optimization was used in the phylogenetic analyses. We show that many lichen fungi are strongly selective towards their cyanobionts. Lichenized ascomycetes seem to be able to identify and choose a specific strain, species or a species group of Nostoc with which to associate. The present analyses also suggest that some of the Nostoc taxa may be specialized in symbiotic life with only lichenized ascomycetes. Despite the selectivity observed in fungi, there appears to be no coevolution between the partners. We have also discussed the problems of using the tRNALeu intron as a marker in phylogenetic analyses. © The Willi Hennig Society 2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Features a study that compared the genetic identity of the mycobionts obtained from both photomorphs of the photosymbiodemes of the lichens Lobaria amplissima and Lobaria fendleri. Phylogenetic relationships between different symbiotic associations found within the genus Lobaria; Isolation of the cyanobacterial photobionts; Chemistry of the mycobiont and resynthesis stages; Interactions of the bionts.

Phylogenetic relationships within the genus Cladonia, including Cladina (Cladoniaceae, Lecanoromycetes), were reconstructed based upon simultaneous analyses of DNA sequences and morphological and chemical data. We used sequences from the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), the 5.8 rDNA gene, and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of the nuclear rDNA gene cluster, and partial sequences from the protein-coding β-tubulin gene. The analyses included 235 specimens of 168 taxa representing all currently recognized sections of Cladonia and Cladina and the outgroup genera Cladia, Pycnothelia, and Ramalea. Analyses were performed using optimization alignment with three different parameter values. The results of all analyses support the inclusion of Cladina in Cladonia. The current sectional division of Cladonia was not supported, and a new provisional classification for the genus is proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]