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Persepolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in south-western Iran, dates back to more than 2500 years ago, and is colonized by a great diversity of lichen-forming fungi. A survey of the lichen-forming fungi revealed a species abundant in different areas of the cultural site, which turned out to be a new species of the genus Circinaria. The new species, Circinaria persepolitana , is introduced and described on the basis of morphological and molecular data. Circinaria persepolitana is characterized by having a crustose thallus, rimose to areolate, usually with bullate areoles, with an olive green to olive-brown surface and angular to elongate areoles in the marginal zone. Phylogenetic analyses including other species of the genus showed that the new species is phylogenetically close to C. mansourii , C. ochracea and C. reptans. We propose a new combination of Circinaria reptans (Looman) Sohrabi, Owe-Larsson & Paukov. The bioweathering capacity of the new species was also analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, examining the interface between the lichen thallus and the lithic substratum to assess its potential threat to the conservation of heritage surfaces. We found this species to be a potential biodeteriogenic agent, as thalli were closely attached to the lithic substratum and biogeophysical and biogeochemical changes at the rock surface could be associated with the colonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manna lichens, a group of vagrant species with subfruticose and subfoliose thalli in the genus Circinaria Link, have received attention for millennia. Here, a new manna lichen species, Circinaria nimisii sp. nov. (Megasporaceae), is described and illustrated. This vagrant lichen is found on Mount Olympus in Greece and is the fourth known manna lichen in Europe. The new taxon is characterized by its subfruticose, densely-branched thallus with a muddy, earthy colour, whitish pseudocyphellae on tips of branches, mature apothecia distinctly adnate to stipitate, and paraplectenchymatous cortex tissue. Molecular sequence data from the standard barcoding marker (nrITS) also corroborate the distinction of this species from closely related congeners. Finally, Agrestia zerovii , previously known only from its type locality in Ukraine, is proposed as a new synonym of Circinaria hispida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lecanora s. lat. is a genus of crustose, rarely placodioid lichens comprising c. 1000 recognized species and subdivided into several morphology-based groups. Some of these groups have been supported in phylogenetic analyses and segregated as new genera. One of the remaining groups that has not been previously studied by molecular methods in much detail, the L. saligna-group, includes corticolous and lignicolous crustose lichens, usually containing isousnic or usnic acid (or both) as major secondary metabolites. As part of our ongoing project 'Lecanomics', a phylogenetic analysis based on two loci was conducted and found the L. saligna-group to be divided into two main clades and several well-supported minor clades. The L. varia clade, chosen as one of the outgroups, emerged within the L. saligna-group. The majority of the clades are characterized by phenotypic differences. However, several well-supported clades share similarities with their sister groups, suggesting that species circumscriptions based solely on phenotypic characters may be too conservative to characterize the true species diversity present within the group. Also, there is evidence for some geographical separation of lineages; for example, most North American individuals, previously known as Lecanora saligna and L. albellula, form two clades separate from their European namesakes and are here preliminarily called 'Lecanora sp. B', 'Lecanora sp. C' and 'Lecanora sp. D'. However, L. saligna and L. albellula also appear to occur in North America, and some specimens from the Caucasus and Iran cluster within the North American clades. Lecanora anopta and L. subravida are reported for the first time from Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three species, Lobothallia brachyloba Paukov & I. V. Frolov, L. epiadelpha Paukov & A. Nordin and L. zogtii Paukov & Davydov, from arid regions of Eurasia (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Mongolia) are described as new to science. Lobothallia brachyloba has flat, firmly attached lobes, immersed apothecia lacking a distinct thalline margin, and contains norstictic acid. Both Lobothallia epiadelpha and L. zogtii contain stictic acid and have a brown thallus and sessile apothecia. Lobothallia epiadelpha initially develops on crustose Circinaria spp, has thick lobes loosely attached to the substratum, and brown apothecial discs with constant thalline margins. Lobothallia zogtii is a free-living species with brownish black to jet black apothecial discs surrounded by a receding thalline margin. Lecanora bogdoënsis is synonymized with Lobothallia praeradiosa and Lobothallia helanensis is synonymized with L. subdiffracta. Three new combinations, Lobothallia hedinii (H. Magn.) Paukov, A. Nordin & Sohrabi, L. lacteola (Oxner) Şenkardeşler, Paukov, Davydov & Sohrabi, and L. subdiffracta (H. Magn.) Paukov, are proposed. Phylogenetic analyses of Lobothallia brachyloba , L. epiadelpha and L. subdiffracta (ITS, mtSSU) are presented, showing their relationships within Lobothallia. The lectotype of the name Aspicilia lacteola Oxner is designated. A key to 18 species of Lobothallia is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship of Aspicilia uxoris within Megasporaceae is assessed within a phylogenetic context. ‘Aspicilia’ uxoris and other related species are recovered as sister to the genus Lobothallia s. str. and described here as a new genus. Teuvoa (Ascomycota, Megasporaceae) is erected based on nuclear ITS and LSU sequence data and morphological characters. In addition to Teuvoa uxoris, a second species, T. junipericola, is added to the new genus based on material collected from North America. Teuvoa junipericola, T. uxoris and T. tibetica form a group with 8-spored asci, absence of extrolites, rather short-sized conidia and ascospores, lack of a subhypothecial algal layer, and different substratum preferences (on organic substratum) with a sister relationship to genus Lobothallia s. lat. (Aspicilia subgenus Pachyothallia Clauzade & C. Roux). Based on spore measurements of the holotypes, Lecanora ferganensis Tomin from central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), Lecanora atrodiscata Gintovt, from Tajikistan and Lecanora takyroides Dzhur. from Turkmenistan are new synonyms to T. uxoris. A lectotype for Lecanora ferganensis is designated, expanding the known distribution of T. uxoris from Algeria, Morocco and Spain, into Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new lichen species, Aspicilia digitata Sohrabi & Litterski, is described and illustrated. It differs from the Eurasian and American A. fruticulosa and A. hispida by having a more or less spherical thallus, a very intricate structure of finger-like, cylindrical branchlets and black spots on the tips of the branchlets. Aspicilia digitata is a terricolous vagrant species found at high altitudes in the Tian-Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan. It is not known in the fertile condition and presumably reproduces by fragmentation. Molecular comparisons with other related species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on a successful amplification and sequencing of nuclear ribosomal ITS regions from a 75 year old herbarium specimen of Aspicilia aschabadensis (J. Steiner) Mereschk. It says that the low concentration and poor quality of DNA should either fail or give poor quality of sequence. It also mentions the abundance of chemical compounds which is the main problem of extracting pure DNA from lichenized fungi.