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Molecular analyses of the recently described Xanthoria polessica collected from the type locality and of the Australian species X. coomae were used to determine whether these taxa are distinct species or fall within the wide phenotypic variation of the well-known and cosmopolitan X. parietina. Our results clearly indicate that both taxa should be considered as synonyms of X. parietina since the infraspecific morphological range is accommodated by the observed variation in the thallus and lobe size, their color, position of apothecia, the shape of ascospores, and width of ascospore septum.

Secondary metabolites are the bioactive compounds of plants which are synthesized during primary metabolism, have no role in the development process but are needed for defense and other special purposes. These secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids, anthraquinones and carotenoids, are found in Xanthoria genus lichens. These lichens are known as lichenized fungi in the family Teloschistaceae, which grows on rock and produce bioactive compounds. A lot of secondary compounds in plants are induced by UV (100-400 nm) spectra. The present review showcases the present identified bioactive compounds in Xanthoria elegans and Xanthoria parietina lichens, which are stimulated by different amounts of UV-B light (280-320 nm), as well as the biochemistry of the UV-B absorbingcompounds.

Two epiphytic lichens (Xanthoria alfredii, XAa; X. ulophyllodes, XAu) and soil were sampled at three sites with varied distances to a road in a semiarid sandland in Inner Mongolia, China and analyzed for concentrations of 42 elements to assess the contribution of soil input and road traffic to lichen element burdens, and to compare element concentration differences between the two lichens. The study showed that multielement patterns, Fe:Ti and rare earth element ratios were similar between the lichen and soil samples. Enrichment factors (EFs) showed that ten elements (Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, K, P, Pb, S, Sb, and Zn) were enriched in the lichens relative to the local soil. Concentrations of most elements were higher in XAu than in XAa regardless of sites, and increased with proximity to the road regardless of lichen species. These results suggested that lichen element compositions were highly affected by soil input and road traffic. The narrow-lobed sorediate species were more efficient in particulate entrapment than the broad-lobed nonsorediate species. XAa and XAu are good bioaccumulators for road pollution in desert and have similar spatial patterns of element concentrations for most elements as response to road traffic emissions and soil input.

Climate and environmental conditions are the main driving factors that are responsible for the biological colonization and deterioration of stone heritage materials, especially for open-air sites. It is critical to determine the relationships among climate, microbial communities, and potential biodeterioration to conserve stone relics. In this study, samples were collected from two severely biodeteriorated stelae that are located in the open air at the Beishiku Temple, China. The genes of 16S/p23S rRNA targeting bacteria and algae and of the ITS1 region for fungi were analysed by using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Additionally, lichens were examined and described. The results showed that the bacterial community compositions varied with seasonal variations and that the dominant phyla were Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Proteobacteria. Most of the fungi were affiliated with Ascomycota, and some of them were lichenized types and were related to the lichens that had already formed on the stelae. Chlorophyta and Cyanobacteria were the dominant algal groups that inhabited the stelae surfaces. Xanthoria and Lecanora were the most dominant genera, which belong to foliose lichen and crust-like lichen, respectively. PCoA analysis showed that the bacterial and algal community structures, rather than those of fungi, were closely correlated with climate parameters. Temperature, precipitation, and wind speed were the main factors that were associated with changes in bacterial communities, while pH was closely associated with increased diversity of bacteria and algae. This study presents basic insights into the lithic microbial ecology in open-air stone monuments and may guide management decisions for their protection and preventative conservation.

Eighteen new to science species, i.e.: 13 taxa from South Korea (Astroplaca loekoesiana S. Y. Kondr., E. Farkas, J.-J. Woo et J.-S. Hur, Buellia ulleungdoensis S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkos et J.-S. Hur, Candelariella hakulinenii S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkos et J.-S. Hur, Flavoplaca laszloana S. Y. Kondr. et J.-S. Hur, Lichenostigma epiporpidiae S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkos et J.-S. Hur, Mikhtomia geumohdoensis S. Y. Kondr., Liu D. et J.-S. Hur, Orientophila dodongensis S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkos et J.-S. Hur, Physcia orientostellaris S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkos et J.-S. Hur, Placynthiella hurii S. Y. Kondr. et L. Lőkos, Protoparmeliopsis kopachevskae S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkos et J.-S. Hur, Psoroglaena sunchonensis S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkos et J.-S. Hur, Rufoplaca kaernefeltiana S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkos et J.-S. Hur, Vezdaea poeltiana S. Y. Kondr., L. Lőkos, J. Halda et J.-S. Hur), two species from India (Rusavskia indica S. Y. Kondr. et D. K. Upreti, and R. upretii S. Y. Kondr., G. K. Mishra et S. Nayaka), and two species from Atlantic Eur...

The new lichenicolous fungusCapronia suijaegrowing on the thallus of corticolousXanthoria parietinais described from Belarus and compared with similar species. In addition to its host selection, the species is characterized by comparatively small ascomata, 40–80 μm diam., and (0–1–)3-septate ascospores, 9·5–11·5×4·0–5·0 μm. A key to the lichenicolous fungi growing onXanthorias. str. is provided.

Data on 54 new for China, India, Korea and Russia species of lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi, including 22 new for science taxa of lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi, i.e.: Acarospora ulleungdoensis, Amandinea trassii, Aspicilia geumodoensis, Biatora ivanpisutii, Caloplaca patwolseleyae, Catillaria ulleungdoensis, Coenogonium agonimieoides, Gyalidea austrocoreana, G. ropalosporoides, Opegrapha briancoppinsii, O. ulleungdoensis, Phyllopsora loekoesii, Psoroglaena coreana, Psorotichia gyelnikii, Rinodina oxneriana, Scoliciosporum jasonhurii, Staurothele oxneri, Stigmidium coarctatae, Thelocarpon ulleungdoense, Thelopsis loekoesii, Toninia poeltiana, Unguiculariopsis helmutii, and and 7 new species to China (Caloplaca ussuriensis, Megaspora rimisorediata, Rinodina xanthophaea, Rusavskia dasanensis, Xanthoria splendens, Zeroviella coreana, Z. esfahanensis), and 1 new species to India (Zeroviella esfahanensis), and 24 new species to Korea (Agonimia blumii, Arthonia rinodinicola, Buelliella minimula,...

The study was aimed to evaluate the ability of native lichen Xanthoria (X.) parietina to biomonitor and bioaccumulate some heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb), PAHs, PCDDs, PCDFs, PCBs and PBDEs and to evaluate the use of the native X. parietina as a multi-tracer tool for scenarios characterized by different anthropogenic pressures. Samples of native X. parietina were collected in six different sites (two green, two residential and two industrial areas, respectively) and analyzed for the target compounds. The results show that X. parietina was a useful tool for the biomonitoring of air quality in the selected areas, and was able to bioaccumulate all the studied metals and POPs. In particular, the total concentrations dry weight (dw) ranged between 8.1 and 103.4 mg kg−1 for metals, from 113 × 103 to 183 × 103 ng kg−1 for PAHs, from 868 to 7685 ng kg−1 for PCBs, from 14.3 to 113.8 ng kg−1 for PCDDs/Fs (∑TEq = 0.9–7.1), and from 194 to 554 ng kg−1 for PBDEs. Besides, in general, the levels of analytes recovered in the different samples of lichen show an increasing trend from green to industrial sites, especially for PCBs (mean values equal to 1218, 4253 and 7192 ng kg−1 respectively for green, residential and industrial areas). The statistical approach, based on Pearson's correlation and principal component analysis tests, showed that one of the industrial sites was well-separated from the others, that resulted grouped due to some similarities.

The component composition of mycotoxin complexes is characterized in foliose lichens of the genera Nephroma, Peltigera, Umbilicaria, and Xanthoria. The interspecies differences in the genus Peltigera are expressed by the number of metabolites detected, from seven in P. aphthosa to three in P. canina, P. didactyla, P. praetextata, and P. rufescens. In Nephroma arcticum eight mycotoxins occurred regularly, with mycophenolic acid in especially high quantities in comparison with other lichens. In Umbilicaria, of six permanent components the content of alternariole is the highest, and in Xanthoria the content of emodine is the highest. Variation of the quantitative content of mycotoxins in general and of species of lichens is discussed, as is expansion of the background spectrum of these metabolites in collections from different territories.

Lichen bioindication can provide economical and spatially extensive monitoring of climate and pollution impacts on ecological communities. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling of lichen community composition and generalized additive models to analyze regional climate and pollution gradients in the northern Rocky Mountains, U.S. Temperature extremes, relative humidity, and N-deposition were strongly related to lichen community composition. Eutrophic species (genera Physcia, Xanthomendoza, and Xanthoria) were associated with high N deposition, low precipitation, and temperature extremes. Estimated N deposition in our study ranged from

Malicek, J., Palice, Z. & Vondrak, J. 2014. New lichen records and rediscoveries from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. — Herzogia 27: 257–284. Despite over two centuries of fairly intensive study, the lichen flora of Central European countries is still incompletely known. Based on revision of herbarium material and new field work, we report thirty-four species from the Czech Republic for the first time, and twenty-two from Slovakia. Caloplaca brachyspora, Micarea confusa and Sclerophora amabilis are new to Central Europe. Caloplaca alaskensis is reported outside the Arctic for the first time. Other noteworthy records worth of mention are e.g. Arthonia incarnata, Bacidina etayana, Biatora pontica, Bryoria furcellata, Candelariella lutella, C. viae-lactae, Metamelanea caesiella, Peccania cernohorskyi, Rhizoplaca melanophthalma, Thelocarpon imperceptum, Verrucaria ulmi and Xanthoria papillifera. Eight species (mainly from lowland forests) have not been found over 70 or more years from the territory...

The research is focused on the delta area of the Volga river. Our study was conducted during the period from May to September in the years 2011 and 2012. We examined about 80 trees Ulmus laevis and Fraxinus excelsior. Ten species of lichen belonging to the familes Teloschistaceae, Rhysciaceae, genera Caloplaca, Xanthoria, Physcia, Lepraria were found in the control biotope. During the study period, all trees were characterized by a high degree of projective cover from 45.7 % to 96.2 % in 2011 and from 47.1 to 100 % in 2012. Lichens growing in the area of conventional control had bright color of the thallus. The index value of clean air was 14.8 in 2011 and 14.1 in 2012. The studied sites were divided into three areas: area of the severe pollution, area of the average pollution and favorable area.

The green algal photobionts of 12 Xanthoria, seven Xanthomendoza, two Teloschistes species and Josefpoeltia parva (all Teloschistaceae) were analyzed. Xanthoria parietina was sampled on four continents. More than 300 photobiont isolates were brought into sterile culture. The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (nrITS; 101 sequences) and the large subunit of the RuBiSco gene (rbcL; 54 sequences) of either whole lichen DNA or photobiont isolates were phylogenetically analyzed. ITS and rbcL phylogenies were congruent, although some subclades had low bootstrap support. Trebouxia arboricola,T. decolorans and closely related, unnamed Trebouxia species, all belonging to clade A, were found as photobionts of Xanthoria species. Xanthomendoza species associated with either T. decolorans (clade A), T. impressa, T. gelatinosa (clade I) or with an unnamed Trebouxia species. Trebouxia gelatinosa genotypes (clade I) were the photobionts of Teloschistes chrysophthalmus,T. hosseusianus and Josefpoeltia parva. Only weak correlations between distribution patterns of algal genotypes and environmental conditions or geographical location were observed.

Column and thin-layer chromatography were used to study the occurrence of various carotenoids in 17 lichen, species collected in the Upper Tracja Valley in Bulgaria. The following carotenoids were found: lycoxanthin, lycophyll, α-, β-carotene, rubixanthin, α-, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lutein epoxide, β-carotene epoxide, zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin, canthaxanthin, adonixanthin, α-doradexanthin, phoenicoxanthin, mutatochrome, mutato-xanthin, diatoxanthin and neoxanthin. The total carotenoid contents ranged from 5.737 (Peltigera horizontalis) to 63.659 µg g-1 dry weight (Xanthoria perietina).

Two new Xanthoria s. str. species, Xanthoria polessica and X. juniperina, the members of the Xanthoria parietina-group (from Belarus, Ukraine and Russia), and Rusavskia dasanensis (from Norway) are described, as well as compared with closely related taxa. Current position of 47 species of xanthorioid lichens described during the last two decades in 15 different genera of the subfamily Xanthorioideae of the family Teloschistaceae is discussed. Caloplaca herbidella (Arnold) H. Magn. and Telogalla olivieri (Vouaux) Nik. Hoff. et Hafellner are for the first time recorded for Belarus.

Aptroot, A. 2012. Changes in the epiphytic flora on four Tilia trees in Belgium over 59 years. Herzogia 25(1): 39–45. Aptroot, A. 2012. Lichens of St. Helena. SCES Publications, Kew. 116 pp. Aptroot, A. 2012. Xanthoria parasitizing Pertusaria or Physcia: a response to Linda in Arcadia. Bulletin British Lichen Society 110: 52. Aptroot, A. & E. Arnolds. 2012. Veranderingen in de korstmossen en mossen in Schepping, een particulier natuurontwikkelingsterrein bij Beilen [Changes in lichens and mosses in Schepping, a private nature area in Beilen]. Buxbaumiella 91: 42–48. [In Dutch.] Aptroot, A. & H. Cornelissen. 2012. Onderzoek naar bossen uit de tijd van de dinosariers [Research on forests from the time of the dinosaurs]. Blijdenstein Nieuws 28: 4–5. [In Dutch.] Aptroot, A. & S. H. Iqbal. 2012. Annotated checklist of the lichens of Pakistan, with reports of new records. Herzogia 25(2): 211–229. Aptroot, A. & F. Schumm. 2012. A new terricolous Trapelia and a new Trapeliopsis (Trapeliaceae, Baeomycetales) from Macaronesia. Lichenologist 44(4): 449–456. [New species: Trapelia rubra Aptroot & Schumm and Trapeliopsis gymnidiata Aptroot & Schumm.] Aptroot, A., C. M. van Herk & L. B. Sparrius. 2012. Basisrapport voor de Rode Lijst korstmossen [Basic report for the Red List of lichens]. Buxbaumiella 92: 1–117. [in Dutch.] Armstrong, R. A. 2013. Development of areolae and growth of the peripheral prothallus in the crustose lichen Rhizocarpon geographicum: an image analysis study. Symbiosis 60(1): 7–16. Balaji, P., M. Sakthivadivel, P. Bharath & G. N. Hariharan. 2012. Larvicidal activity of various solvent extracts of lichen Roccella montagnei against filarial vector Culex quinquefasciatus. Drug Discovery 2(6): 36–39. Baloniu, L., I. Costache & D. Radutoiu. 2011. Contributions to the knowledge of the lichens from Rinca Area. Acta horti botanici bucurestiensis 38: 17–25. Beck, A. & C. Mayr. 2012. Nitrogen and carbon isotope variability in the green-algal lichen Xanthoria parietina and their implications on mycobiont-photobiont interactions. Ecology and Evolution 2(12): 3132–3144. Bertuzzi, S. & M. Tretiach. 2013. Hydrogen sulphide inhibits PSII of lichen photobionts. Lichenologist 45(1): 101–113. Bjerke, J. W. 2011. Winter climate change: Ice encapsulation at mild subfreezing temperatures kills freeze-tolerant lichens. Environmental and Experimental Botany 72(3): 404–408. Bjerke, J. W., S. Bokhorst, M. Zielke, T. V. Callaghan & G. K. Phoenix. 2011. Contrasting sensitivity to extreme winter warming events of dominant sub-Arctic heathland bryophyte and lichen species. Journal of Ecology 99(6): 1481–1488. Bjerke, J. W. & A. Elvebakk. 2011. Ascomata of the powdery mildew fungus Phyllactinia guttata on Usnea lichens. Agarica 31: 77–83. Bokhorst, S., J. W. Bjerke, H. Tommervik, C. Preece & G. K. Phoenix. 2012. Ecosystem response to climatic change: the importance of the non-growing season. Ambio 41(Supp. 3): 246–255. Bokhorst, S., H. Tommervik, T. V. Callaghan, G. K. Phoenix & J. W. Bjerke. 2012. Vegetation recovery following extreme winter warming events in the sub-Arctic estimated using NDVI from remote sensing and handheld passive proximal sensors. Environmental and Experimental Botany 81(1): 18–25. Braidwood, D. & C. J. Ellis. 2012. Bioclimatic equilibrium for lichen distributions on disjunct continental landmasses. Botany 90(12): 1316–1325. Burkin, A. A., T. Y. Tolpysheva & G. P. Kononenko. 2012. Preservation of secondary fungal metabolites in herbarium lichen specimens. Moscow University Biological Sciences Bulletin 67(3–4): 121–125. Calvino-Cancela, M., M. E. Lopez De Silanes, M. Rubido-Bara & J. Uribarri. 2013. The potential role of tree plantations in providing habitat for lichen epiphytes. Forest Ecology and Management 291: 386–395. Cansaran-Duman, D., S. Aras, O. Atakol & I. Atasoy. 2012. Accumulation of trace elements and the assessment of the genotoxicity in the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea transplanted to a polluted site in Ankara. Ekoloji 85: 1–14. Choi, H., S.-K. Park, B.-N. Lee & M. Kim. 2012. Risk assessment of lead and cadmium through mushrooms. Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology 44(6): 666–672. Colbert, J. T. 2011. Current status of lichen diversity in Iowa. Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science 118(1): 16–23. 3 Corresponding author’s email: brendan.hodkinson@gmail.com The cumulative database for this series is available in searchable form on the World Wide Web at http://nhm2.uio.no/botanisk/ lav/RLL/RLL.HTM with full abstracts of electronically available articles. We owe thanks to the following: Einar Timdal for his work on the RLL database, Bill Buck for highlighting the more obscure sources, Jim Bennett for sharing his Scopus alerts, and the authors who send reprints or electronic versions of their works to us for inclusion. DOI: 10.1639/0007-2745-116.3.316

Contamination by atmospheric mercury has been assessed in two different areas from Spain (Las Cuevas, Ciudad Real and Flix, Tarragona) using lichens as biomonitors. The relationship established between mercury contents in the soils and the gaseous mercury (GM) was also observed. It was found that the GM is highest in the vicinity of the source and it is dispersed depending on of the distance to the source and the wind directions. The mercury concentration in the gas phase in Flix was higher than that found in Las Cuevas and also higher than the value that the US EPA recommended. The mercury bioaccumulation in the native lichens from genders Ramalina and Xanthoria were used as biomonitors for absorbing mercury in Las Cuevas and Flix, respectively. The mercury uptake by Ramalina was higher than the amount accumulated by Xanthoria, a difference that was mainly due to the lichen characteristics. The content of mercury in lichens in relation to the mercury in gas was fitted by a Freundlich type equation, indicating that the equilibrium between both phases was established. Besides, transplanted Ramalina lichen in Las Cuevas allowed to obtain the kinetic of mercury uptake. A kinetic model of first order based on the equilibrium was proposed and the mass transfer constants for each sampling station were estimated. As it was expected, these values increased with the predominant wind flow direction., Se ha evaluado la contaminación por mercurio atmosférico en dos zonas diferentes de España (Las Cuevas, Ciudad Real y Flix, Tarragona) utilizando líquenes como biomonitores. También se observó la relación establecida entre los contenidos de mercurio en los suelos y el mercurio gaseoso (MG). Se comprobó que el MG es más alto en las proximidades de la fuente y se dispersa en función de la distancia a la misma y de las direcciones del viento. La concentración de mercurio en fase gaseosa en Flix fue mayor que la encontrada en Las Cuevas y también mayor que el valor que recomienda la EPA estadounidense. La bioacumulación de mercurio en los líquenes nativos de los géneros Ramalina y Xanthoria se utilizaron como biomonitores de absorción de mercurio en Las Cuevas y Flix, respectivamente. La absorción de mercurio por parte de Ramalina fue mayor que la cantidad acumulada por Xanthoria, diferencia que se debió principalmente a las características del liquen. El contenido de mercurio en los líquenes en relación con el mercurio en el gas se ajustó mediante una ecuación de tipo Freundlich, indicando que se estableció el equilibrio entre ambas fases. Además, el liquen Ramalina trasplantado en Las Cuevas permitió obtener la cinética de captación de mercurio. Se propuso un modelo cinético de primer orden basado en el equilibrio y se estimaron las constantes de transferencia de masa para cada estación de muestreo. Como era de esperar, estos valores aumentaron con la dirección del flujo de viento predominante.

Air pollution is a major concern in China. Lichens are a useful biomonitor for atmospheric elemental deposition but have rarely been used in North China. The aim of this study was to investigate the atmospheric depositions of 30 trace elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sr, Tb, Th, Ti, Tl, V and Zn) in a region of the Taihang Mountains, Hebei Province, China using lichens as biomonitors. Epilithic foliose lichen Xanthoria mandschurica was sampled from 21 sites and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results show that 1) eight elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, P, Pb, Sb and Zn) are of atmospheric origin and are highly influenced by the atmospheric transportation from the North China Plain, as well as local mining activities, while 2) the remaining 22 elements are primarily of crustal origin, the concentration of which has been enhanced by local mining and quarrying activities. These results clearly validate the applicability of lichens in biomonitoring of atmospheric elemental deposition and demonstrate the spatial pattern for air pollution in the region.

Morphological characters can vary to an extent that makes it difficult to separate the two morphologically and chemically similar species Xanthoria aureola and X. parietina for an inexperienced field biologist. They occur frequently in mixed stands on seashore rocks on the western coast of Norway. We examined (1) whether a simple method like RAPD-PCR could confirm the distinction between the two species previously reported on the basis of DNA sequences, and (2) whether infraspecific DNA and RAPD data from X. parietina were congruent. We also checked whether the RAPD band scoring procedure could affect the results. Results show that (1) RAPD distance matrices based on band scorings performed independently by the two authors were always congruent and differences never affected conclusions, (2) RAPD clearly distinguishes between X. parietina and X. aureola in a way that is fully congruent with a classification based on DNA sequence data, and (3) there was no significant congruence between infraspecific distances based on DNA sequences and RAPD data in X. parietina. The latter observation may be taken as support for a previously published report of low levels of recombination in X. parietina, which stands in contrast to statements of obligate homothallism in that species.

Lichens are compound entities of a fungal partner (“mycobiont”) and one or more photosynthetically active algae or cyanobacteria (“photobionts”). The organisms live in an intimate, symbiotic association which has been classified as a mutualistic or controlled parasitic relationship. Several metabolites from lichens display unique structures with unknown functions, and only a few model species have been analysed comprehensively. The complex metabolic interplay between the organisms in lichens is also incompletely understood. Earlier experiments with 14C-labelled precursors indicated that the photobionts produce from CO2 glucose or sugar alcohols (e.g. ribitol and arabitol) which are then transferred to the mycobionts. In the fungi, these compounds are believed to be converted into mannitol serving as the carbon and energy source in the downstream metabolic processes. Recent methodological developments in spectroscopy and “systems biology” now enable a concise analysis of the metabolite profiles, networks and fluxes by non-targeted quantitative approaches. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about lichen metabolism and report on the potential of the advanced methods to reinvestigate lichen chemistry and metabolism on a quantitative basis.

Bilovitz, P. O., Stesevic, D. & Mayrhofer, H. 2010. Epiphytic lichens and lichenicolous fungi from the northern part of Montenegro. - Herzogia 23: 249 -256. A list of 120 taxa of lichens (117 species) and three species of lichenicolous fungi from the northern part of Montenegro is presented. The lichens Biatora chrysantha, Caloplaca monacensis, Candelariella efflorescens, Loxospora elatina, Micarea adnata, Ochrolechia arborea, O. microstictoides, Phaeophyscia nigricans, Physconia enteroxantha, Ph. grisea, Rinodina capensis, R. polysporoides, R. pyrina, Scoliciosporum umbrinum var. corticolum, Xanthoria can- delaria, X. ulophyllodes and the lichenicolous fungi Lichenodiplis lecanorae, Telogalla olivieri, and Xanthoriicola physciae are new to Montenegro. Zusammenfassung: Bilovitz, P. O., Stesevic, D. & Mayrhofer, H. 2010. Epiphytische Flechten und lichenicole Pilze aus dem nordlichen Teil Montenegros. - Herzogia 23: 249 -256. 120 Taxa (117 Arten) von lichenisierten und drei Arten von lichenicolen Pilzen werden aus dem nordlichen Teil Montenegros gemeldet. Die Flechten Biatora chrysantha, Caloplaca monacensis, Candelariella efflorescens, Loxospora elatina, Micarea adnata, Ochrolechia arborea, O. microstictoides, Phaeophyscia nigricans, Physconia enteroxantha, Ph. grisea, Rinodina capensis, R. polysporoides, R. pyrina, Scoliciosporum umbrinum var. corticolum, Xanthoria candelaria, X. ulophyllodes sowie die lichenicolen Pilze Lichenodiplis lecanorae, Telogalla olivieri und Xanthoriicola physciae sind neu fur Montenegro.

Lichens, representing mutualistic symbioses between photobionts and mycobionts, often accumulate high concentrations of secondary compounds synthesized by the fungal partner. Light screening is one function for cortical compounds being deposited as crystals outside fungal hyphae. These compounds can non-destructively be extracted by 100% acetone from air-dry living thalli. Extraction of atranorin from Physcia aipolia changed the lichen colour from pale grey to green in the hydrated state, whereas acetone-rinsed and control thalli were all pale grey when dry. Removal of parietin from Xanthoria parietina changed the colour of desiccated thalli from orange to grey. Colour changes were quantified by reflectance measurements. By a new chlorophyll fluorescence method, screening was assessed as the decrease in incident irradiance (PAR) necessary to reach identical effective quantum yields of PSII (Phi(PSII)) in acetone-rinsed and control thalli. Thereby, we estimated a screening efficiency due to cortical atranorin crystals at 61, 38, and 40% of blue, green and red light, respectively, whereas parietin screened 81, 27 and 1% of these wavelength ranges. Removal of atranorin caused similar levels of increased photoinhibition for P. aipolia in blue, green and red light, whereas parietin-deficient thalli of X. parietina exhibited increased photoinhibition with decreasing wavelengths. Atranorin possibly prevents water from entering the spaces between the hyphae in the cortex. The air-filled cavities with white atranorin crystals reflect excess light, whereas the yellow compound parietin absorbs excess light. Thereby, both atranorin and parietin play significant photoprotective roles for symbiotic green algae, but with compound-specific screening mechanisms.

This aim of this work is to study the isolation of usnic acid found in many lichen species and the evaluation of its antibacterial activity. The study began with a morphological determination of lichens harvested in Tunisia. The corresponding analysis identified 28 species belonging to the following families: Xanthoria, Parmelia, Caloplaca, Ramalina, Diploschistes, Usnea. A chromatographic study of the chemical composition of these lichens highlighted the presence of many compounds belonging to various chemical categories: depsides and depsidones, xanthones, anthraquinones, dibenzofurans, etc. Special attention was given to the components of this last category and particularly to usnic acid which is therapeutically very interesting. This component plays a very important role in fighting the bacteria responsible for numerous urinary and pulmonary infections and also in fighting viruses responsible for certain tumors. Antibacterial activity tests showed that the Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococci strains have certain sensitivity to usnic acid extracted from the Usnea hirta lichen. Given that various fields, and especially medicine, are currently showing considerable interest in vegetable extracts, this study will be continued in the future with the aim to isolate other components with efficient therapeutic effects.

Three new Xanthoria species are described from South Africa. Xanthoria hirsuta sp. nov. has hairs on the surface of the thallus and apothecia, best visible in young, growing parts. Dust particles and sand granules stick to this hairy surface, giving the thallus a somewhat dirty appearance. Xanthoria inflata sp. nov. has inflated lobes similar to a Menegazzia. It carries numerous crystals on its medullary hyphae, which are ivory-coloured in young, but intensely orange coloured in old lobes. Xanthoria doidgeae sp. nov. has relatively small lobes with pruinose margins. All three species are fertile, none of them forms symbiotic propagules.

Xanthoria parietina , common foliose lichen, growing in its natural habitat, was analysed for the concentration of five heavy metals (Fe, Cr, Zn, Pb and Cu) from different forest sites of North East of Morocco (Kenitra, Sidi Boughaba, Mkhinza, Ceinture Verte near Temara city, Skhirate, Bouznika and Mohammedia). The quantification was carried out by inductively coupled plasma - atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Results were highly significant p

The new lichen species Xanthomendoza galericulata L. Lindblom is described from the western United States. It is characterized by helmet-shaped lobe tips, under which soralia are found. Xanthomendoza galericulata is broadly distributed in drier pars of western North America. Information on other small sorediate taxa in the genus, namely X. fulva, X. oregana, and X. weberi (S. Kondr. & Karnefelt) L. Lindblom comb. nov., is provided as well as a key to all North American sorediate Xanthomendoza species.

The present investigation of High Arctic epilithic lichens and their substrate is based on field observations in Inglefield Land, North-West Greenland, mainly in 1999, with subsidiary observations from 1995. Eighteen rock samples, all glacial erratics, were specifically selected on the basis of macroscopic mineralization features such as iron and copper staining, vein and breccia structures, and ore minerals. The samples are representative of the crystalline shield, and their lithologies can be matched with exposures in Inglefield Land. Seven lichen communities are recognized, viz. Pleopsidium chlorophanum c., Xanthoria elegans var. splendens c., Dimelaena oreina–Physcia caesia–Xanthoria elegans c., Xanthoria elegans–Umbilicaria virginis c., Orphniospora moriopsis c., Porpidia flavicunda c., and Tremolecia atrata c. The studied material on the 18 samples reveals no conspicuous correlation between metal concentrations in the rock samples and the lichen communities and, broadly speaking, it can be ...

Specimens of Xanthoria parietina were collected from worldwide locations and ascospore discharge used to establish axenic cultures of the mycobiont. DNA was extracted and RAPD-PCR fingerprinting of 59 isolates was successfully achieved, resulting in 58 unique fingerprints. 110 multilocus RAPD markers were generated and used to construct a dendrogram. Two main groups were distinguished (75% bootstrap support): the first comprising samples from the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic and Canary Islands; the second comprising all other worldwide samples including isolates from throughout Europe and North America. Samples from Australia and New Zealand clustered with the second group except one additional, phenotypically distinct specimen, not belonging to X. parietina, which formed an outgroup. However, comparative DNA sequence analyses are required to verify this interpretation.

Genetic variability among sterile cultured single ascospore isolates of Xanthoria parietina, X. calcicola, X. ectaneoides, X. capensis, X. polycarpa and X. resendei was investigated with RAPD-PCR. If available five out of eight ascospores per ascus were analysed. In some samples multispore and mycelial isolates from ascomata were included in the analysis. Ascospore germination rates and phenotypic features such as growth rate, pigmentation and secondary metabolites were uniform in X. parietina sporelings of the same ascus, but varied among the progeny of meiosis in all other species. Phenotypic features correlated with genetic variability. X. parietina revealed polymorphisms among specimens from different worldwide locations. In contrast nine out of ten sets of sibling spores were genetically uniform, with only 2% polymorphism in the remaining set, indicating that X. parietina might be homothallic. X. calcicola, X. ectaneoides, X. capensis, X. polycarpa and X. resendei revealed 9-66% polymorphic loci and therefore are considered heterothallic.

Lichens are useful as pollution biomonitors because their biomass can strongly concentrate heavy metals, pollutant gases, and radionuclides from aerosol fallout, precipitation, or runoff. Lichens tend to concentrate pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and heavy metals. The results obtained from the analysis of the lichen biomass gave information about the predominant direction of pollutant transportation, while those related to the concentrations found in the air particulate allowed the evaluation of the degree of the local trace metals atmospheric pollution. Sixteen elements (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cd, P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, Na, B and S) were determined in 17 different lichen biomass genera Cladina rangiferina, Cladonia foliacea, Cladonia furcata, Cladonia pyxidata, Cladonia rangiformis, Cladonia stellaris, Dermatocarpon miniatum, Diploschistes scruposus, Evernia mesomorpha, Hypogymnia physodes, Parmelia caperata, Parmelia sulcata, Peltiqera canina, Physcita adcenders, Pseadevernia furfurace, Xanthoria cal...

Seven highly-coloured lichen species belonging to the genera Caloplaca, Candelariella, Aspicilia and Xanthoria from ecclesiastical buildings in northern Spain have been analysed non-destructively by FT-Raman spectroscopy. The vibrational band assignments in the spectra of the specimens, which were still attached to their limestone or sandstone substrata, were accomplished with the assistance of the chemical compositions obtained from wet chemical extraction methods. -Carotene was found in all specimens as the major pigment, and the characteristic spectral signatures of calcium oxalate monohydrate (whewellite) and dihydrate (weddelite) could be identified; chemical signatures were found for these materials even in lichen thalli growing the non-calcareous substrata, indicating, probably, that the calcium was provided here from wind-or-rain-borne sources. The Raman spectral biomarkers found in the lichens broadly agreed with the chemical extraction profiles as expected, but the present study indicates that some form of non-destructive taxonomic identification based on Raman spectroscopy was possible. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Summary • Inter- and intra-specific variability of the hydrophobin gene H1 was investigated in a range of Xanthoria species collected in their natural habitat. • On Southern blots the XEH1 probe (from Xanthoria ectaneoides) hybridized under standard conditions to the genomic DNA of Xanthoria calcicola, Xanthoria parietina and Xanthoria flammea. The corresponding H1 genes in these and additional species (Xanthoria turbinata, Xanthoria spp.), and ribosomal gene regions (ITS 1 and 2, 5.8S rDNA) were amplified with polymerase chain reaction, sequenced and similarities calculated. Restriction fragment length polymorphism and cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence analyses provided molecular tools for species delimitation. • Ribosomal gene data were largely in parallel with the hydrophobin H1 sequence data, the protein-coding H1 sequence being even more variable as the noncoding rDNA regions. • Very low intraspecific variation was detected in the H1 gene of X. parietina samples collected on four continents, with the highest variability occurring among Mediterranean samples. Xanthoria ectaneoides from Brittany, France, and X. calcicola appear to be coastal and inland forms of the same fungal species but differ from Sicilian X. ectaneoides. The African X. flammea and X. turbinata are related to the X. parietina cluster.

The Raman and infrared spectra of the UV-radiation protectant parietin extracted from Xanthoria lichen species are reported and vibrational assignments made of key features which are important for the characterisation of parietin in situ in stresstolerant living organisms. The spectra of parietin are compared with those of the chemically related emodin, which is of pharmaceutical interest. The key molecular vibrational bands of parietin will be used for the analysis of lichen specimens exposed to high UV-radiation stress growing on Leonie Island, Antarctica, under the ‘ozone hole’ to better understand the production of UV-protectants in controlled habitats. q 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Two new species, Xanthoria karrooensis S. Kondratyuk & Kärnefelt and Xanthoria alexanderbaai S. Kondratyuk & Kärnefelt, both apparently endemic to South Africa, are described and illustrated. Other xanthorioid species known from southern Africa are listed in a Table and a preliminary key is provided for the African species. The new species are compared with a number of presumably related species, and a Table is provided comparing the character states for the new species and related species.

For air pollution lichen mapping of Komarom (NW Hungary) 50 liches taxa were collected at 84 sites between October 1997 and April 1999. Except for 3 species (Caloplaca decipiens, Evernia prunastasi, Physca tenella) all are new for investigated area, as it was lichenologically poorly known before. The occurrence of the most frequent species (Amandinea punctata, Lecanora hagenii, Phaeophyscia orbicularis, Physcia adscendens, P. tenella, Xanthoria perietina) correlates with the dominating dust pollution. Two different zones can be distinguished on the basis of the lichen flora. These are situated in the highly built-upo central and in the surrounding areas.

With regard to the concept of a discrete approach to the description of seed plant ontogeny, proposed by T.A. Rabotnov and A.A. Uranov, the ontogeny of apothecial foliose lichen Xanthoria parietinais described. Four periods and 13 ontogenetic states are distinguished by morphological and anatomical characters. In the urban environment, the thalli of X. parietinaperish at early developmental stages (incomplete ontogeny); in general, their size and the number and size of apothecia decrease and the connection with substrates at the final ontogenetic stages becomes weaker. Adaptation of the X. parietinapopulation to existence under adverse natural and anthropogenic conditions manifests itself in the retarded development of pregenerative individuals and elimination of the least tolerant generative individuals.

Lichens have a primary role in the biodeterioration of rock substrata and in soil formation. In extreme Antarctic rock-face habitats, their exposed epilithic growth form makes them vulnerable to environmental stress, especially to increased UVB radiation within the late winter ozone “hole”. In this study, FT-Raman spectra of intact epilithic samples of the highly-pigmented lichen species Xanthoria elegans and Xanthoria mawsonii from a continental Antarctic habitat in central Victoria Land and Xanthoria parietina from a maritime temperate location in Scotland have been compared. Vibrational assignments have been made for their pigments, based on parietin and an anthraquinone model. Other significant spectral features are assigned to biodegradative secondary metabolites, cellulose and incorporated substratal rock particles. Differential distribution of parietin pigment bands in the profile of an X. elegans thallus is probably related to the high intensity of UV-radiation reaching its Antarctic cold desert surface environment. The significant differences in Raman spectra between epiphytic X. mawsonii and epilithic X. elegans at the same site possibly indicate different biochemical UV survival strategies. In contrast to spectra from other lichen species studied in our laboratories, the Xanthoria encrustations contain very little calcium oxalate, formed by reaction of oxalic acid with calcareous substrata. The 462 cm−1 ν(SiO) band of quartz is found in the Raman spectra from both upper and lower surfaces of the lichen encrustations, confirms the physical incorporation of the substratum into the thallus.

Xanthoria poeltii, a new species combining characters of X. candelaria and X. ulophyllodes from Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Hungary, is described and illustrated. Comments about its differences from related taxa are provided.

Two new species of Xanthoria are described and illustrated, and comments about their differences from related taxa are provided. These are: X. ascendens from bark and shrub remains in sea-shore sand dunes and hillsides in Argentina, Chile and Peru, and X. ucrainica, from bark, stones, and some man-made substrata in the Ukraine, Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria and Asian Russia.

Xanthona parietina thalli were collected from a ‘clean-air’ location and from a polluted area. Ramalina duriaei thalli were collected from the same ‘clean-air’ location and some thalli were transplanted to air polluted locations, where R. duriaei no longer occurs. The effects of air contaminants on these two lichens were compared under controlled laboratory conditions and in field experiments. Air contaminants and exposure to bisulphite ions had little or no damaging effect on X. parietina, whereas severe damage was caused to R. duriaei, as judged by chlorophyll degradation, autofluorescence of photobionts, photosynthetic activity, membrane integrity and ATP content. The different responses presented confirm the sensitivity of R. duriaei and resistance of X. parietina to air pollution.

The composition of lipids, PLs and FAs in the treegrowing lichen Xanthoria partenina, collected during the period from March to May, was studied. The major polar lipids found, including phospholipids, were DGTS, PC, PE, and PG. Polar and PL contents were also identified, and certain trends in the changing proportions of PC (increasing from 17.8 to 50.1%) and DGTS (decreasing from 27.1 to 12.6%) were determined. The fatty acid composition was examined using capillary GC-MS in the neutral, glyco- and PL fractions. Hydroxy acids were detected only in the glycolipid fraction; their seasonal dynamics were also studied. The seasonal changes occurring in lipid composition due to the temperature factor were identified

Fulgensia Massal. & De Not. is a widespread genus with considerable morphological and ecological heterogeneity across species. For this reason, the taxonomic delimitation of this genus has been controversial. Relationships among species of Fulgensia, Caloplaca Th. Fr., and Xanthoria (Fr.) Th. Fr. (Lecanorales) were investigated based on a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of 62 DNA sequences from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region using maximum parsimony (MP) and likelihood (ML). Ambiguously aligned (INAASE coded characters) and unambiguous regions were analyzed separately and combined when using MP as the optimization criterion. All our analyses confirm the polyphyly of this genus as three distinct lineages: Fulgensia sensu stricto, F. australis, and F. schistidii. We report here that Caloplaca, Fulgensia, and Xanthoria together form two main sister lineages. One lineage includes Fulgensia schistidii (part of the C. saxicola group), Xanthoria, and most of the lobed Caloplaca species belonging to the Gasparrinia group. A second main lineage comprises the remaining Caloplaca species, Fulgensia sensu stricto, and F. australis. Therefore, the traditional generic level classification schemes for the family Teloschistaceae appear to be highly artificial. All three genera were found to be nonmonophyletic. We demonstrate here that the ITS is appropriate to resolve relationships across the Teloschistaceae. However, a combination of an MP analysis, in which ambiguously aligned regions are accommodated using INAASE, with an ML analysis, in which phylogenetic confidence is estimated using a Bayesian approach, is needed.

Effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), salicylic acid (SA) or 2-aminoindane-2-phosphonic acid (AIP) pre-treatments on the sensitivity of Xanthoria parietina exposed to UV-A were studied. UV decreased chlorophylls and stimulated increase in hydrogen peroxide and superoxide level. Accumulation of soluble phenols and flavonoids increased in response to UV treatment. Metabolic modulators had negligible impact on these UV-induced changes. Within free amino acids, AIP (−UV variant) and SA and MeJA (+UV variants) altered their accumulation. AIP had no effect on the amount of phenylalanine. Benzoic and cinnamic acids were elevated by UV and mainly MeJA influenced their accumulations. Among lichen specific metabolites, vulpinic acid and ergosterol increased while usnic acid and atranorin decreased after exposure to UV; accumulation of parietin was not affected. Applied modulators showed a different effect on these lichen metabolites but biosynthetic pathway-specific trend of alteration was visible. Overall, MeJA showed the most pronounced effect among studied parameters. Accumulation of selected phenolics in response to UV-A seems to be an important feature of Xanthoria tolerance. Present finding in the context of phenolic metabolism in non-vascular plants and with respect to limited data about effect of studied modulators on non-vascular plants are discussed.

This study aimed to deepen the knowledge about intraspecific mechanisms regulating nitrogen tolerance in lichens to wet nitrogen deposition. Thalli of the nitrophilous lichen Xanthoria parietina were collected from environments with different nitrogen availabilities and immersed in 80 mL of ammonium sulphate (NH4)2SO4 solutions with distinct concentrations (0, 0.025, 0.05 and 0.25 M) for 5 h per day during 3 days in a week. After each soaking event, lichens were air dried. After each treatment, maximal PSII efficiency, localization of ammonium ions, concentrations of K+ and Mg2+ and thalli buffer capacity were determined. Our results show that lichens are marked by their native nitrogen environment, since there were important differences between the physiological responses of X. parietina thalli previously grown in an area with high nitrogen deposition (nitrogen emissions of ca. 13,000 t/year) and those previously grown in an unpolluted area (nitrogen emissions of ca. 500 t/year). Greater N availability seems to enable X. parietina to cope better with the effects of nitrogen pollution.

Total nitrogen in transplanted and in situ lichen thalli of Xanthoria parietina were related to ambient ammonia air concentrations measured with passive ALPHA (Adapted Low-cost Passive High Absorption) diffusion samplers in Denmark. Transplants and ALPHA samplers were exposed four months in a transect on heathland close to a pig farm. Monthly mean ammonia concentrations declined exponentially approaching background levels after 300 m. Nitrogen content of the lichen transplants tended to decline with distance, though only a few stations were significantly different from each other. Where ammonia concentrations were high, maximum content of nitrogen was reached after one month of exposure. Conversely, at sites with background concentrations, it took several months to reach a statistically significant uptake. The correlation between ammonia concentration in the air and in situ X. parietina was significant.