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The paper presents the first-ever report of lichens from Sholayar 10 ha permanent plot, with a total of 38 species under 23 genera and 14 families. Of these, one species, Allographa cinerea (Fée) Lücking and Kalb reported as new to India, and nine species namely Coenogonium dilucidum (Kremp.) Kalb and Lücking, Crypthonia albida (Fée) Frisch, Enterographa divergens (Müll. Arg.) Redinger, Graphis indica J. Kalb and Kalb, Malmidea fuscella (Müll. Arg.) Kalb and Lücking, Malmidea piae (Kalb) Kalb, Malmidea subgranifera (Kalb and Elix) Kalb and Elix, and Porina subinterstes (Nyl.) Müll. Arg. as new distributional records to Kerala. The genus Crypthonia is reported for the first time in Kerala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first records of Parmelia ernstiae from Madeira, as well as the new localities of P. encryptata from Poland and P. sulcata from Chile, are presented. All records are confirmed by molecular data, BLAST search, and haplotype network analysis of the nucITS rDNA sequences. The discussion on the morphology and secondary chemistry of all three species is provided with notes on their distribution and similar taxa. Parmelia encryptata is a rarely reported cryptic species that is morphologically indistinguishable from P. sulcata , and its identification requires molecular data. New localities of P. encryptata from northern Poland suggest that the taxon may be widespread in the country and not confined to large forests but also present in open areas on free-standing trees. Moreover, a new nucITS rDNA haplotype of the species is reported. Parmelia ernstiae is a near-cryptic species, morphologically and chemically very similar to P. saxatilis and P. serrana . Two specimens of the species from Madeira have sublinear lobes with marginal and laminal isidia, unlike most specimens of P. ernstiae, having short, broad lobes with laminal isidia, and thus are morphologically closer to P. saxatilis in lobe shape and to P. serrana in placement of isidia. However, the BLAST search and haplotype analysis of nucITS rDNA sequences placed these specimens in P. ernstiae . Parmelia sulcata , a common species in the Northern Hemisphere, is rare elsewhere, and only two records confirmed by molecular data were known from South America. The nucITS rDNA haplotype of two new and two previous records of the species represent the most common haplotype of the species known from the Northern Hemisphere.

Herbarium collections are particularly significant in countries where systematic studies of specific taxonomic groups have not been carried out, such as in the case of lichens in Lithuania. Collections prior to the 1990s are scarce, so all historical material is of great value. This paper presents the results of a study of lichen collections in the herbaria of the University of Tartu (TU) and the University of Latvia (RIG). A total of 425 herbarium envelopes (84 RIG and 341 TU) were examined. A total of 170 species were identified, including 157 lichen species, 12 lichenicolous and one non-lichenized saprobic fungi species. Nine lichen species were identified from envelopes that did not indicate the exact location except for the country (Lithuania). Two lichenicolous fungi, Endococcus nanellus and Stigmidium lecidellae, are new records for the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAcarosporaceae is a crustose lichen and is known as a species that has more than 50 multi-spores, and has hyaline spores. Those taxa are often found in rock and soil in mountain areas or coastal regions in Korea, and very diverse forms and species are known. However, after an overall genetic phylogenetic analysis of carbonized ascomata in 2015, species consisting only of the morphological base are newly divided, and several species of Acarosporaceae in Korea are also being discovered in this situation. As a result of analysis using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and nuLSU gene analysis, Korean species belonged to Acarospora and Sarcogyne clade, and Acarospora classified as the Acarospora clade was mixed with the Polysporina group and the Sarcogyne clade is mixed with the Acarospora. We identified two new species (Acarospora beangnokdamensis J. S. Park & S. O. Oh, sp. nov., Sarcogyne jejuensis J. S. Park & S. O. Oh, sp. nov.) through morphological, molecular, and secondary metabolite substance and found one new record (Sarcogyne oceanica K. Knudsen & Kocourk). We have made a classification key for Acarospora and Sarcogyne in Korea and reported all information together here.

AbstractLecanora is one of the largest genera of lichens worldwide. These lichens can be easily seen, and are commonly found on trees and rocks. Most Korean Lecanora species belong to the Lecanora subfusca group, which has well-defined superficial thallus, red–brown apothecia, and soredia. The new species of L. neobarkmaniana grows on rocks, farinose soredia coalescing, usually covering the whole thallus, and containing atranorin and zeorin. We used internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) sequence data to identify the phylogenetic relationship across Lecanora sequence data and found the species to form different clades. In this study, we reported some interesting findings and described the genetic relationship with other sorediate Lecanora species and the characteristics of the new species. An identification key for the Korean sorediate Lecanora species is given.

Rhizoplaca ouimetensis is described new to science, growing on outcrops of diabase sills in the Lake Superior region of Ontario, Canada. It is the first known sorediate species of the genus, and a phylogenetic reconstruction based on the ITS and mtSSU markers place it in the R. chrysoleuca group. Morphologically, however, it resembles sorediate, yellow-green species of Lecanora with usnic acid, e.g., L. handelii and L. soralifera, but differs from those in forming larger, often pulvinate or minutely peltate areoles with a well-developed upper cortex and a medulla densely filled with calcium oxalate crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lichens not only play a major role in plant succession as pioneer species but also provide many ecosystem services. Various anthropogenic activities like habitat destruction, air pollution and over exploitation of lichens for economic uses seem to be the main threats for loss of lichen diversity. Hence, for in situ conservation of lichens, it is a prioritised need to document lichen species of a locality. Lichens of Assam are being extensively studied from a taxonomic point of view in recent years. An accurate and updated checklist of lichens is not available so far. Here we expand the knowledge of the lichen of Assam by critically surveyed the literatures and prepared an updated list of total 657 species of Assam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]