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We report new records of 19, predominantly rare, Micarea species, mostly from dead wood in mixed montane forests characterized mainly by Norway spruce, European beech and silver fir in the Bavarian Forest National Park on the German-Czech border. Their ecology and key morphological features are discussed. Micarea contexta, M. fallax, M. melanobola, M. pseudomicrococca, M. pusilla, M. soralifera and M. tomentosa are reported for the first time from Germany. Micarea anterior, M. byssacea, M. elachista, M. laeta, M. micrococca and M. nowakii, in addition to the aforementioned, are reported as new for the Bavarian Forest National Park. We report new records of 19, predominantly rare, Micarea species, mostly from dead wood in mixed montane forests characterized mainly by Norway spruce, European beech and silver fir in the Bavarian Forest National Park on the German-Czech border. Their ecology and key morphological features are discussed. Micarea contexta, M. fallax. M. melanobola, M. pseudomicrococca, M. pusilla, M. soralifera and M. tomentosa are reported for the first time from Germany. Micarea anterior, M. byssacea, M. elachista, M. laeta, M. rnicrococca and M. nowakii, in addition to the aforementioned, are reported as new for the Bavarian Forest National Park.

Members of the lichen genus Lecanora Ach. are important but still poorly known components of almost all vegetation types in Bolivia. In this paper, seven species new for Bolivia are presented: Lecanora bicincta Ramond, L. fulvastra Kremp., L. hagenii (Ach.) Ach., L. muralis (Schreb.) Rabenh., L. percrenata H. Magn., L. stramineoalbida Vain. and L. strobilina (Spreng.) Kieff. Their distributions are described and information on their diagnostic characters and chemistry is given

A preliminary study of the Lecanora dispersa group in Argentina is presented. Two species (L. dispersa and L. hagenii) have been previously recorded and their known distribution is extended, one species (L. semipallida) is a new record from Argentina, and five taxa (L. flowersiana, L. persimilis, L. torrida, L. wetmorei and L. zosterae var. zosterae) are reported for the first time from South America. Three species (L. albescens, L. crenulata and L. populicola) previously recorded for Argentina have not been confirmed as occurring in this country. Lecanora aff. fugiens is also treated and compared to the related species. The morphology, anatomy, secondary metabolites, distribution and ecology of the nine studied taxa are described and discussed, and a key to the taxa is included. Fil: de la Rosa, Iris Nadia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina Fil: Messuti, Maria Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina Fil: Śliwa, Lucyna. Polish Academy of Sciences; Polonia

São apresentados 25 novos registros para o Estado (toponímia) de Alagoas, sendo uma espécie novo registro para a região Nordeste e quatro outras novas ocorrências para o Brasil. Uma lista com todas as espécies atualmente conhecidas para o semi-árido de Alagoas é apresentada. As amostras foram coletadas na região do Município de São José da Tapera, estado de Alagoas, onde ocorre uma rica vegetação de Caatinga arbóreo-arbustiva.az de regenerar e recrutar em ambientes sombreados, mas o crescimento é limitado pelas condições de pouca luminosidade._________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT: A total of 25 species are here reported for the first time for Alagoas State, with one new record for the Northeastern Region of Brazil and four new records for Brazil. A list of all known species for the semi-arid region in Alagoas is presented. Sampling took place near the municipality of São José da Tapera, in the semi-arid region of Alagoas, where a very rich Caatinga vegetation of trees and shrubs occurs.

As with most disciplines in biology, molecular genetics has revolutionized our understanding of lichenized fungi. Nowhere has this been more true than in systematics, especially in the delimitation of species. In many cases, molecular research has verified long-standing hypotheses, but in others, results appear to conflict with existing morphological species concepts. This work reports on recent progress regarding two main issues: (i) cryptic species, i.e., two or more independent lineages exhibiting similar morphology; and (ii) species pairs, two species with similar morphology but exhibiting different reproductive modes. Both concepts have in common a lack of correlation between phylogenetic and morphological data, at least for characters normally used in lichen systematics. We review the available literature on cryptic species and species pairs, focusing especially on the family Parmeliaceae (Lecanoromycetes, Ascomycota). Molecular data have repeatedly demonstrated the existence of cryptic species in lichenized fungi, although taxonomists have often been slow to recognize the resulting taxa. However, careful observation of fine-scale morphological, ecological and/or geographical features tends to provide support for the recognition of these species. In the case of species pairs, by contrast, few if any of the pairs studied to date have been confirmed to consist of independent lineages. Differences in reproductive mode alone appear not to be a sufficient reason to recognise new species.Como en otras disciplinas, el impacto producido por la filogenia molecular en el conocimiento de los hongos liquenizados ha producido avances y cambios conceptuales importantes. Esto ha sido especialmente cierto en la sistemática y ha afectado de una manera muy notable en aspectos relacionados con la delimitación de las especies. En muchos casos los datos moleculares han verificado las hipótesis tradicionalmente aceptadas en relación con la definición y el reconocimiento de especies, pero en otros han producido conflictos con el concepto morfológico todavía en uso. Este trabajo trata de los recientes progresos en dos direcciones principales: (i) las especies crípticas, es decir, dos o más linajes independientes que exhiben o aparentan una morfología similar; y (ii) los pares de especies, que son especies con morfología similar pero que exhiben diferentes modos de reproducción. Ambos conceptos tienen en común la falta de correlación entre datos filogenéticos y morfológicos, al menos en lo que se refiere a los caracteres normalmente utilizados en la sistemática de líquenes. Hemos analizado la literatura disponible sobre especies crípticas y pares de especies, centrando los ejemplos preferentemente en la familia Parmeliaceae (Lecanoromycetes, Ascomycota). En los hongos liquenizados, los datos moleculares han demostrado reiteradamente la existencia de especies crípticas, pero los investigadores han sido a menudo muy prudentes a la hora de reconocer como tales los nuevos táxones que se vislumbran. De hecho, las investigaciones se han esforzado en la observación cuidadosa de caracteres morfológicos informativos o de caracteres ecológicos o geográficos; ello está proporcionando un buen apoyo para un sólido planteamiento biológico que va parejo al reconocimiento formal de las especies crípticas. Al contrario, en el caso de los pares de especies, raro es el par de especies, entre los estudiados, en que se haya podido confirmar que realmente se trata de linajes independientes. Por tanto parece que las diferencias en el modo de reproducción no son, de por sí, razón suficiente para el reconocimiento de especies distintas.

Duisburg, Essen, Univ., Diss., 2008 A taxonomic revision of the Australian members of trentepohlioid, ecolumellate thelotremataceaen Graphidaceae (Ostropales, lichenized Ascomycota) is presented. This species-rich group of crustose, predominantly tropical and subtropical lichens has been neglected for a long time, and is still poorly known. Particularly the studies for Australia are highly fragmentary. Approximately 4000 specimens, including a total of c. 500 type specimens, herbaria collections, and almost 1000 samples collected during two field trips, were examined morphologically, anatomically, and chemically. A total of 103 species of 13 genera (including one newly described genus) could be identified. 33 species are new records for Australia, and 20 species were described new to science. Of the currently listed 71 names of this group for Australia, 50 are accepted as valid species. The remaining names and species, listed in an appendix, proved to belong to other genera, be synonymous to other taxa or falsely identified collections. 21 species (including species not known for Australia) are newly combined and several new synonyms are proposed. In the taxonomic part an introduction is provided, including a historical overview of the development of generic concepts and delimitations within the treated group. This is followed by a brief presentation of earlier taxonomic studies and collections of thelotrematoid lichens in Australia. It also provides a general treatment of the climatic and biogeographical conditions of the continent. Further, the main characters are described, including anatomical, morphological and chemical features. The ecology and distribution of thelotrematoid lichens are discussed. All treated species are described and illustrated, their distribution is mapped, and a key for the identification provided. An overview of the distinguishing characters between genera is presented in a table. To illuminate the phylogenetic relationships within this group, three phylogentic analyses were carried out using partial sequences of nuclear and mitochondrial ribosomal DNA loci. The first analysis employed a combined dataset of the mitochondrial SSU (mtSSU) and the nuclear LSU (nuLSU) of 105 species of Ascomycetes. As a result, it could be shown that the hitherto separted two families of Ostropales, Graphidaceae and Thelotremataceae, are not monophyletic, but form several lineages within one strongly supported monophyletic group. Consequently, Thelotremataceae is reduced to synonymy with Graphidaceae. The second and third analyses were carried out using a single dataset of nuLSU and mtSSU sequences respectively. In the nuLSU analysis 40 specimens of 38 species were included, in the mtSSU analysis 50 specimens of 25 species were examined. These analyses showed that all genera of thelotrematoid lichens included in the study are para- or polyphyletic, with the sole exception of Diploschistes, and that the present generic concept within Graphidaceae needs revision. The new genus Melanotopelia is introduced based on molecular and morphological evidence.