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The article is a review of the book "Flechten der Schweiz" which provides a comprehensive overview of Swiss lichens, focusing on their diversity, biology, and conservation. It includes numerous color photographs and is suitable for both experts and general readers. The review praises the authors for their expertise and the book's emphasis on outreach and conservation. It also compares the book to other similar publications and highlights its strengths in providing information on lichen biology and ecosystem services. However, it mentions some minor issues with organization and presentation. Overall, the review recommends the book as a valuable resource for anyone interested in Swiss lichens. [Extracted from the article]

We describe 43 new lichen species in the family Graphidaceae, mainly from the Amazon basin: Fissurina bispora, F. diamantica, F. endothallina, F. lirelloreagens, F. reticulolirellina, Graphis inspersonorstictica, G. polystriatosubmuriformis, G. viridithallina, Heiomasia hypostictica, Leucodecton aurantiacum, Mangoldia thallolomoides, Myriochapsa negativa, M. triseptata, Myriotrema inspersosticticum, M. reticulatum, M. roseum, M. xanthonicum, Ocellularia coronatoverrucosa, O. griseosorediata, O. inspersomuriformis, O. inspersulascens, O. microschizidiata, O. norsorediata, O. pallidocolumellata, O. pedicellata, O. pertusella, O. pseudocyphellata, O. psorinspersa, O. psorsorediata, O. roseoisidiata, O. sorediopseudochapsa, O. verruciinspersa, O. vulcanica, O. wirthiotremoides, Phaeographis aureopruinosa, P. coccinea, P. fuscobilabiata, P. macrocephalica, P. norscalpturata, P. pallidoxanthonica, Rhabdodiscus lineatus, Stegobolus negativus, and Thalloloma xanthohypoleptum (the last species also from Puerto Rico). Relatively many are fertile but also form vegetative propagules. A few of the species contain no mature ascospores, but are so deviating from any other described species that we decided to describe them nonetheless. Also, we propose the following 22 new combinations for species of Graphidaceae that were previously described from Brazil and currently are accepted species but were so far assigned to the other genera: Allographa basaltica (≡ Graphis basaltica Kremp.), A. brevissima (≡ Graphis brevissima Fée), A. byrsonimae (≡ Graphina byrsonimae Redinger), A. heteroplaca (≡ Graphina heteroplaca Müll.Arg.), A. platypoda (≡ Phaeographina platypoda Zahlbr.), A. pseudoserpens (≡ Graphis pseudoserpens Chaves & Lücking), A. subargentata (≡ Graphis subargentata S.C.Feuerst., Dal Forno & Eliasaro), A. tricolorata (≡ Graphina tricolorata Redinger), Diorygma album (≡ Graphina alba Müll.Arg.), Fissurina adscripturiens (≡ Graphis adscripturiens Nyl.), F. egenella (≡ Graphina egenella Müll.Arg.), Graphis fasciata (≡ Ustalia fasciata Eschw.), Mangoldia lecideicarpa (≡ Graphina lecideicarpa Zahlbr.), O. endocrocea (≡ O. cinchonarum var. endocrocea Müll.Arg.), O. minarum (≡ Thelotrema minarum Vain.), Phaeographis atrolabiata (≡ Phaeographina atrolabiata Redinger), Phaeographis cheilomegas (≡ Graphis cheilomegas Fée), P. coriaria (≡ Phaeographina coriaria M.Wirth & Hale), P. crassa (≡ Platygramme crassa Fée), P. oxalifera (≡ Phaeographina oxalifera Redinger), P. scriptitata (≡ Phaeographina scriptitata C.W.Dodge), and Stegobolus trachodes (≡ Thelotrema trachodes Nyl.). Finally, we report several species new to Brazil or to one of the states: Allographa pitmanii new to Amapá, Cryptoschizotrema minus new to Alagoas, Glaucotrema glaucophaenum new to Amapá, Graphis pyrrhocheiloides new to Amapá, Graphis subserpentina new to Pará, Melanotrema astrolucens new to Brazil in Amazonas and Pará, Myriotrema hartii new to Amazonas, O. bullata new to Brazil in Pará, O. inspersipallens new to Brazil in Rondônia, O. jutaratiae new to Amapá, O. parvidisca new to Brazil in Amapá, O. rondoniana new to Alagoas, and Thelotrema wilsoniorum new to Brazil in Amapá. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we revised the lichen collection at the Herbario Amazonico Colombiano (coah) in Bogotá, Colombia. The collection has a total of nearly 2,400 specimens, with some duplicates in the Herbario Nacional (col) and in the herbarium of the Botanic Garden in Berlin (b). The revision of 1,861 specimens revealed 574 species in 142 genera and 44 families, among which there are 28 species new to science and seven new combinations. Previously, 324 species had been reported from the Colombian Amazon, and our revision resulted in a new total of 666 species, more than doubling the previous number. All 666 species are enumerated here in the first comprehensive checklist of lichens from the Colombian Amazon. A total of 157 new country records (53 already reported in the new Catalogue of Fungi of Colombia) increase the number of lichens known from Colombia to 2,827. The following species are described as new: Allographa exuens, differing from A. argentata by the lirellae with the corticiform layer soon flaking off and exposing the black labia, the only finely inspersed hymenium, and the narrower ascospores; A. guainiae, differing from Graphis syzygii in the prominent ascomata with lateral thalline margin and whitish thallus remnants between the striae; A. labiata, differing from A. immersa in the prominent lirellae with conspicuous, entire, exposed labia, an inspersed hymenium, longer ascospores, and stictic acid as secondary compound; A. lichexanthonica, differing from A. sitiana in producing lichexanthone; A. sessilis, differing from A. contortuplicata in the muriform ascospores; A. suprainspersata, differing from A. angustata in the very thin thalline cover of the ascomata and the apically inspersed hymenium; Astrothelium bireagens, differing from A. cinnamomeum by the broader, apically flattened perithecia covered by a thin, ferruginous-red, K+ deep purple pruina and internally with an ochraceous-yellow, K+ deep yellow pigment; A. stromatolucidum, differing from A. neovariolosum in the distinctly pseudostromatic ascomata; Carbacanthographis submultiseptata, differing from C. multiseptata in the narrower ascospores and the indistinct periphysoids; Chapsa inconspicua, differing from C. angustispora in the smooth to uneven versus farinose thallus and in the much shorter ascospores; Coenogonium velutinellum, differing from C. pineti in the finely velvety, rather thick thallus composed of irregular to erect, densely packed algal threads covered by a thin pseudocortex; Fellhanera naevioides, differing from F. naevia in the finely dispersed, minutely crenulate thallus and the blackish apothecia; Fissurina sipmanii, differing from F. amazonica in the shorter and broader, slightly gaping, somewhat chroodiscoid ascomata, and the amyloid ascospores; Glyphis lirellizans, differing from Glyphis substriatula in the erumpent vs. prominent lirellae with lateral thalline margin and the exposed disc; Graphis papillifera, differing from G. stellata in the lirellae lacking a thalline margin, very elongate and irregularly to radiately branched and not in stellate clusters, and in the 5-septate ascospores; G. pseudoglyphis, differing from Graphis stellata in the non-verrucose thallus, the branched lirellae which do not, however, form stellate clusters, and the shorter ascospores; Malmidea flavimarginata, differing from M. bacidinoides in the pale yellow, K+ deep yellow medulla and yellow, K+ deep yellow excipular crystals, as well as the smaller ascospores; M. isidiopiperina, differing from M. taytayensis in the smaller ascospores; M. papillitrailiana, differing from M. trailiana in the papillose apothecial margins; Myriotrema araracuarense, differing from Myriotrema muluense in the non-annulate pores of the apothecia and in the longer ascospores; Ocellularia areolata, differing from Ocellularia rhicnoporoides in the pigmented medulla and the larger, more prominent apothecia with completely carbonized excipulum; O. caquetensis, differing from Ocellularia rotundifumosa in the absence of a columella; O. inspersipallens, differing from O. viridipallens in the inspersed hymenium and the 5–7-septate ascospores; O. rufocinctoides, differing from O. rufocincta in the thallus lacking large and irregular crystal clusters, in the more prominent apothecia and in the smaller ascospores; O. sipmanii, differing from Ocellularia abbayesiana in the smaller, 3-septate ascospores; Pseudopyrenula daironii, differing from all other species of the genus in the aggregate perithecia with shared ostiole and the internal orange-red pigment granules lining the perithecial wall; Pyrenula asymmetrica, differing from Pyrenula papilligera in the longer, almost rectangular ascospores; and Redingeria pseudostromatica, differing from other species in the genus in the pseudostromatic ascomata with small, rounded apothecia, in combination with 1-septate ascospores. In addition, the following seven new combinations are proposed: Bacidina cyanophila (≡ Bacidina simplex var. cyanophila), Malmidea sorediifera (≡ Lecanora sorediifera), Ocellularia fuscescens (≡ Thelotrema fuscescens), Phaeographis cymbegrapha (≡ Graphis cymbegrapha; = Phaeographis amazonica Staiger], Polyblastidium flavosquamosum (≡ Heterodermia flavosquamosa), Polyblastidium lamelligerum (≡ Parmelia lamelligera), and Polyblastidium rottboellii (≡ Anaptychia hypoleuca var. rottboellii). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we present an analysis of the Pyrenula ochraceoflava group (Pyrenulaceae), focusing on the Neotropics and based on morphological, chemical, and molecular data of the mtSSU, nuLSU and ITS markers. We described three new species from tropical dry forests of Mexico, confirm the monophyly of the P. ochraceoflava group and provide evidence for the inclusion of species currently placed in the genus Mazaediothecium within Pyrenula. Pyrenula aurantiacoretis sp. nov. is characterized by an orange pigment covering the thallus in net-like fashion, muriform ascospores with 4 rows of 1–4 cells each, 12–15.5 × 8–10.5 µm, and 7-chloroemodin and emodin as major compounds. Pyrenula connexa sp. nov. is closely related to Mazaediothecium album, being characterized by mazaedioid pyrenocarps, basal and lateral excipular carbonization, highly variable mature ascospores, 1-septate to submuriform, thallus with abundant white verrucae, and lichexanthone as major compound. Pyrenula moldenkeorum sp. nov. is characterized by an orange thallus, submuriform ascospores that frequently show pigmented septa forming a cross septation pattern, 7.5–11 × 5.5–8.5 µm in size, and 7-chloroemodin and emodin as major compounds. The taxonomy of the most common and widespread species of the group, P. ochraceoflava and P. ochraceoflavens, is briefly discussed, presenting evidence to support the consideration of P. ochraceoflava as a species complex. The two species Mazaedothecium album and M. mohamedii are transferred to Pyrenula as P. aptrootiana nom. nov. [non Pyrenula alba (Schrad.) A.Massal.] and P. mohamedii comb. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The known collections of the genus Cora in continental North America north of Mexico, all restricted to Florida, are shown to belong to a single species, representing a previously unrecognized taxon formally described herein as C. timucua. Based on data of the fungal ITS barcoding marker, obtained through Sanger and Illumina sequencing from two historical collections, the new species is phylogenetically most closely related to C. casanarensis from Colombia and C. itabaiana from Brazil, although it is morphologically most similar to the only distantly related C. hymenocarpa from Costa Rica. Based on data from the Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria (CNALH) and from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), most of the collections of C. timucua originate from around the turn of the 19th century, while a few were made in the second half of the 20th century, all between 1968 and 1985. Almost all collections originate from Florida sand pine scrub, apparently the preferred habitat of this taxon. Neither modern collections nor extant localities are known. Based on these findings and the substantial degree of land use change in Florida in the past decades, we assessed the conservation status of C. timucua using the IUCN Red List criteria and found that it should be classified as critically endangered (CR), in line with the status of another Florida endemic, Cladonia perforata, which was the first federally red-listed lichen in the United States. The most likely location where C. timucua may still be extant is Ocala National Forest in the north-central portion of the Florida peninsula, although recent macrolichen surveys in that area did not encounter this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical and recent material of Bacidia akompsa (basionym: Biatora akompsa) was studied to determine the taxonomic position of this crustose lichen, prompted by the appearance of the provisional name "Lecanactis akompsa (Tuck.) ined." in multiple online lichen databases and checklists. Initial morphological assessment of verified material confirmed B. akompsa as a member of Arthoniales but distinct from Lecanactis by having epruinose ascomata with a thin exciple open below the hymenium; a pale, K/I+ violet to deep blue hypothecium; and ascospores with a gelatinous sheath. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of specimens recently collected near the type locality revealed B. akompsa to be nested within the genus Pentagenella in Opegraphaceae. The same placement was found using phenotype-based phylogenetic binning with 37 morphological, anatomical and chemical characters. The new combination Pentagenella akompsa is proposed and the species represents the first North American member of this genus, otherwise known only from Chile and Peru. Therefore, our results reveal the genus Pentagenella to have a remarkably disjunct distribution between North and South America. Several specimens previously labeled as Bacidia, Biatora, or Lecanactis akompsa were found to be misidentifications, narrowing the range of P. akompsa to coastal California, where it is found on two coastal conifer species that are (like P. akompsa itself) narrowly endemic and of conservation concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new genus and two new species of Graphidaceae are described from tropical dry forests of Mexico, based on morphological and molecular data of the mtSSU, nuLSU and ITS markers. The new genus Jocatoa in subfamily Graphidoideae is described to accommodate the species Graphis agminalis (syn.: Medusulina texana), previously known from Colombia and North America. The new genus resembles Diorygma but differs by having simple paraphyses tips that do not form an epithecium. Jocatoa agminalis is similar to Diorygma monophorum but differs by having larger ascospores, hypostictic and stictic acids and by the type of paraphysis tips. In subfamily Redonographoideae, the two new species Gymnographopsis corticicola and Redonographa parvispora are described, representing the first corticolous species in the subfamily. Gymnographopsis corticicola is characterized by the smallest spores in the genus, the presence of norstictic acid, and a rectangular perispore that appears to be a newly recognized character state in fungi. Redonographa parvispora is characterized by warty periphysoids, small ascospores with 3 transverse septa, and norstictic acid. It also frequently develops a rectangular perispore. We present a phylogenetic analysis, based on the markers mtSSU, nuLSU and RPB2, that includes all the genera in the family Graphidaceae, with available sequences, to accommodate the new genus and to validate for the first time the position of Gymnographopsis. Diagnostic anatomical and ecological characters are discussed for Redonographoideae. Gymnographopsis is newly reported to the Northern Hemisphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-lichenized, monospecific genus Papilionovela Aptroot, originally described from rain forest in Papua New Guinea, is reported here from several locations in Caatinga vegetation in Sergipe, Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis of the nuLSU marker within a three-locus phylogeny, as well as separate analysis of the fungal ITS barcoding marker, place Papilionovela in the Graphidaceae, subfamily Graphidoideae, with strong support. Within that subfamily, the genus clusters within tribe Wirthiotremateae, close to the Acanthothecis peplophora group and Carbacanthographis, albeit without support. We also reanalyzed the phylogenetic placement of two other, non-lichenized fungi previously associated with Graphidaceae, namely Furcaspora eucalypti and Rubikia evansii, and found them to form a separate, early diverging lineage in the family, here formally described as a new subfamily, Rubikioideae. Papilionovela is thus the first non-lichenized, saprobic lineage within the core Graphidaceae (subfamily Graphidoideae), providing a further independent, unequivocal case of delichenization within the order Ostropales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During ecological studies on corticolous lichens in Restinga vegetation in northeastern Brazil, many species of crustose Caliciaceae formerly placed in the collective genus Buellia s.l. were collected. A new species was discovered and is described here—Gassicurtia restingiana D.S.Andrade, M.Cáceres & Aptroot differs from G. catasema in the absence of lichexanthone. Two identification keys are provided, one for all species of Gassicurtia known from Brazil, and one for crustose, epiphytic, non-mazaediate species of Caliciaceae found in Restinga areas in northeastern Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed a high diversity of unrecognized species of Lecanora s.l. in Brazil, with many near-cryptic species that require a combined analysis of morphology, secondary metabolites and molecular sequences for accurate delimitation. In this study, a new species of Lecanora is described which is morphologically close to L. achroa and L. helva. The new species was collected in the Guadalupe environmental protection area, located in the municipality of Barra de Sirinhaém, a mangrove region in the state of Pernambuco in the Brazilian Northeast. Lecanora parachroa sp. nov. agrees with L. achroa in morphological and anatomical features but differs in secondary chemistry, lacking usnic acid and 2′-O-methylperlatolic acid. Molecular data using the ITS barcoding marker suggest that commonly identified species in this group, including L. helva and L. leprosa, are collective taxa, each including several lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic studies revealed a high level of diversity within the lichen-forming fungus so far identified with the name Maronina multifera (Protoparmelioideae, Parmeliaceae), currently accommodated in the genus Neoprotoparmelia. Here, six new species of Neoprotoparmelia are described as new to science based on morphological and molecular data, mostly from northeastern Brazil. The new species are: Neoprotoparmelia nigra (Brazil), with 32-spored asci, lacking alectoronic acid, and with pale, K-negative apothecial base, and blackish apothecial disc; N. paramultifera (Brazil), with 64-spored asci, alectoronic acid, pale, K-negative apothecial base, and purplish brown apothecial disc and thick apothecial margins; N. pseudomultifera (Brazil), with 32-spored asci, lacking alectoronic acid, and with pale, K-negative apothecial base and brown apothecial disc (no reddish or purplish tinge); N. purpurea (Brazil), with 32-spored asci, lacking alectoronic acid, and with pigmented, K+ purplish-violet apothecial base and purplish brown apothecial disc; N. rubrofusca (Colombia), with 32-spored asci, lacking alectoronic acid, and with pigmented, K+ purplish-violet apothecial base, and red-brown apothecial disc and thin, evanescent margins; and N. sexdecimspora (Brazil), with 16-spored asci, alectoronic acid, pale, K-negative apothecial base, and purplish brown apothecial disc. The name N. multifera is restricted to a species from the northern Andes with 64-spored asci, alectoronic acid, pale, K-negative apothecial base, and purplish brown apothecial disc with thin margins, while the new combination N. camptotheca is adopted for a species in eastern Brazil with 32-spored asci, alectoronic acid, pale, K-negative apothecial base, purplish brown apothecial disc, and smooth margin (all other species in the complex having crenulate margins). The following two new combinations are also proposed: Neoprotoparmelia saxicola and N. rogersii (syn.: N. capensis V.J.Rico, A.Crespo & Garima Singh). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade Graphidaceae has stood out as one of the families with the highest number of newly described species in Brazil. In this paper we describe further five new species of Graphidaceae found in an enclave of humid forest (Brejo de Altitude) in the Caatinga, and in the Atlantic Forest of Northeast Brazil: Chapsa inspersa E.L.Lima & Lücking, differing from C. dissuta in the inspersed hymenium and larger ascospores with more numerous septa; Cryptoschizotrema minus E.L.Lima & Lücking, differing from C. schizotrema in the distinctly smaller ascospores; Diorygma sophianum E.L.Lima & Lücking, differing from D. junghuhnii in the laterally carbonized excipulum and the slightly larger ascospores, as well as the presence of lichexanthone; Graphis subfiliformis E.L.Lima & Lücking, differing from G. filiformis in the thick, shallowly verrucose thallus and thalline margin of the lirellae and in the larger ascospores; and Sarcographa atlantica E.L.Lima & Lücking, differing from S. astroidea (Vain.) Lücking comb. nov. in the larger ascospores with more numerous septa. We also provide a range and habitat extension for Diorygma alagoense M.Cáceres & Lücking, an enigmatic species with a peculiar chemistry of thallus and ascomata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twelve new lichenized species are described in Arthoniales and Ostropales from seasonally dry tropical forest in Mexico: eight in Graphidaceae, one in Gomphillaceae, and one each in Arthoniaceae, Roccellaceae, and Opegraphaceae. The new species are: Acanthothecis alba Herrera-Camp., Barcenas-Peña & Lücking, differing from A. poitaeoides in the erumpent to prominent ascomata with partially exposed disc and the relatively broader ascospores; Bactrospora lecanorina Herrera-Camp., Altamirano & Lücking, differing from the other species with patellarioides-type ascospores by the zeorine ascomata, in combination with narrow ascospores; Cryptothecia chamelensis Herrera-Camp., Bautista & Lücking, differing from C. inexpectata and C. irregularis in the perlatolic acid chemistry and the much smaller ascospores; Fissurina aperta Herrera-Camp., Barcenas-Peña & Lücking, differing from F. adscripturiens and F. novae-zelandiae by its exposed, disc and thin, erect margins; F. cinereodisca Altamirano, Colín & N.Sánchez, differing from F. furfuracea in the shorter ascomata with grey disc and thin, margin; F. jaliscoensis Herrera-Camp., Barcenas-Peña & Lücking, differing from F. subnitida in the shorter lirellae with exposed disc and thin margins; F. reticulata R. Miranda, Herrera Camp. & Lücking, differing from F. tuckermaniana by its muriform ascospores; F. tenuimarginata Herrera-Camp., Barcenas-Peña & Lücking, differing from F. cinereodisca in the smaller lirellae with yellowish-translucent disc and thinner margin; Gyalideopsis caespitosa Barcenas-Peña, Herrera-Camp. & Lücking, differing from other species of the genus in the initially zeorine apothecia and the sessile hyphophores with caespitose diahyphae; Ocellularia tomatlanensis Herrera-Camp., Colín & Lücking, differing from other Ocellularia species with small, transversely septate, hyaline ascospores and protocetraric acid by the absence of a columella; Phaeographis sarcographoides Herrera-Camp., N.Sánchez & Lücking, differing from other species of Phaeographis with inspersed hymenium, 3-septate ascospores, and lack of secondary substances, in the robust, prominent to sessile ascomata with often dissected disc; and Vigneronia mexicana Herrera-Camp., Bautista & Lücking, sp. nov., differing from V. spierii in the prominent to sessile ascomata with brown margin and light grey-pruinose disc. The new combination Vigneronia caceresiana (Kalb & Aptroot) Lücking & Herrera-Camp., comb. nov., is also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide a checklist and a key to the 26 species and one infraspecific taxon of the genus Gyalideopsis (Gomphillaceae) currently known from Brazil, including two species with unique hyphophores described as new to science herein: G. aptrootii Xavier-Leite, M.Cáceres & Lücking sp. nov., characterized by adnate, crescent-shaped hyphophores with moniliform diahyphae and broadly sessile, dark grey-brown apothecia with single, muriform, rather small ascospores; and G. marcellii Xavier-Leite, M.Cáceres & Lücking sp. nov., with mussel-shaped hyphophores similar to those of G. haliotidiformis but differing in the filiform diahyphae. The other taxa known from Brazil are: G. aequatoriana Kalb & Vězda, G. altamirensis Lücking & Umaña, G. applanata Herrera-Campos & Lücking, G. argentea (Mont.) Kalb & Vězda, G. brevipilosa (Kalb & Vězda) Lücking, Sérus. & Vězda, G. cochlearifera Lücking & Sérus., G. confluens Kalb & Vězda, G. ellipsoidea A.A.Menezes, M.Cáceres & Aptroot, G. epithallina Lücking, G. glauca (P.Karst.) Lücking, Sérus. & Vězda, G. haliotidiformis Kalb & Vězda, G. intermedia Lücking, G. kalbii Vězda, G. lambinonii Vězda, G. lecideina Kalb & Vězda, G. palmata Kalb & Vězda, G. robusta Kalb & Vězda, G. rostrata Kalb & Vězda, G. rubescens Vězda, G. rubrofusca Kalb & Vězda, G. vainioi Kalb & Vězda, G. verruculosa Vězda & Hafellner, G. vezdae Kalb, G. vulgaris (Müll.Arg.) Lücking f. vulgaris, and G. vulgaris f. albopruinosa Lücking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrenula sanguinea Aptroot, M. Cáceres & Lücking is described from branches of trees in Amazonian rain forest in the state of Rondônia, Brazil. It is characterized by bright red, pseudostromatic ascomata with fused walls, closely resembling those of Trypethelium etuteriae and related species except for the color. The brown ascospores deviate from those of most other Pyrenula species by their reduced endospore formation; they are surrounded by a thick gelatinous sheath with horn-like and curled appendages at the tips. Although morphologically very distinct from all other known species of Pyrenula, molecular data of the mtSSU and nuLSU loci revealed that it is nested within that genus, with a strongly supported sister-group relationship with P. cruenta. Both species share the bright red color of ascomata, but co-chromatography revealed a distinct, complex pattern for P. sanguinea, with six different pigments, only haematommone shared with P. cruenta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new species of Coenogonium are described from the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico--C. aurantiacum Mercado-Díaz & Lücking, C. borinquense Mercado-Diaz & Lücking, C. dimorphicum Mercado-Diaz & Lücking and C. portoricense Mercado-Diaz & Lücking. All were discovered in small and highly fragmented forest remnants of relatively rare Puerto Rican forest ecosystems, Pterocarpus wetlands and non-calcareous dry forests. The discoveries are discussed relative to the conservation status of these threatened ecosystems, the need to catalogue biodiversity before it vanishes, and the notion that endemism in lichenized fungi in island biotas is potentially much higher than hitherto assumed. A previous world-wide key to Coenogonium is updated to accommodate the new taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a larger systematic and taxonomic revision of the genus Sticta in the northern Andes, several species were discovered forming green algal and cyanobacterial photosymbiodemes, seven of which are new to science and are described here--S. lobarioides Moncada & Coca, S. macrothallina Moncada & Coca, S. neopulmonarioides Moncada & Coca, S. phyllidiokunthii Moncada & Lücking, S. pseudolobaria Moncada & Coca, S. pulmonarioides Moncada & Coca, and S. tatamana Moncada & Coca. All species are discussed and illustrated, and a key to species with Lobaria pulmonaria gross morphology is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the species living on our planet remain undiscovered, among these over one million Fungi. One approach to account for undescribed species is the search in unusual habitats. Here we report on the unexpected finding of a new species of Lepidostroma (Atheliales: Lepidostromataceae) from the semi-arid Caatinga biome in northeastern Brazil. It is only the fifth species of this enigmatic genus and only the third from the Neotropics, and the fourth species to be described within the past four years. DNA was extracted and the ITS and nuLSU partitions of the nuclear rDNA were sequenced. A phylogenetic tree was computed under a maximum likelihood framework using an alignment of selected Basidiomycota (Atheliales, Agaricales, Boletales, Russulales, Cantharellales). The new species differs from other species in the genus by the crustose rather than squamulose thallus. Molecular sequence data place the species as unsupported sister to Lepidostroma akagerae. The crustose thallus resembles that of Multiclavula species, which are phylogenetically unrelated. This study underlines that novel lichenized Fungi can be discovered in unusual habitats. The Caatinga vegetation is to a large extent threatened by habitat destruction and the discovery of such an unusual species underlines the importance of this unique biome for conserving diversity in tropical South America. Systematically, the new species is relevant because it represents the only species of Lepidostroma with a crustose, Multiclavula-like thallus, presenting a striking example of parallel evolution in lichenized Basidiomycota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new combination Diorygma antillarum (Vain.) Nelsen, Lücking & Rivas Plata is proposed. This taxon lacks ascomata and produces unique isidia-like structures for vegetative dispersal. Its systematic position was clarified by incorporating molecular sequence data from the small subunit of the mitochondrial ribosomal DNA (mtSSU) and small and large subunits of the nuclear ribososomal DNA (nuSSU and nuLSU). Our phylogenetic hypotheses suggest this taxon is not part of Herpothallon in the class Arthoniomycetes, but is supported as a member of the genus Diorygma (Graphidaceae) in the class Lecanoromycetes. This agrees with morphological and chemical features of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]