Search

Lichenomphaliais a lichenized agaric genus characterized by its omphalinoid basidiomes.Lichenomphaliaspecies are associated with unicellular green algae in the genusCoccomyxaand are mainly distributed in polar and alpine habitats. The aim of this work is to describeL. altoandina, a new species from northern Chile that grows among cushion plants over 3000 m above sea level in the Andes Mountains. The species is remarkable for living in highly saline environments, in some cases virtually on salt crusts.Lichenomphalia altoandinadiffers from other known species and particularly fromL. aurantiaca, the most morphologically similar species, in its smooth and broader stipe and its slightly larger spores.Lichenomphalia altoandinais also morphologicaly and ecologically more similar to the coreLichenomphaliaclade. Our phylogenetic study based on nuclear rDNA ITS and partial 28S sequences shows thatL. altoandinabelongs to theProtolichenomphaliaclade and is sister to an unknown lineage,L. aff.umbellifera, from New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]