Microsatellite markers can provide valuable information about gene flow and population history. We developed and tested new microsatellites for the nitrophilic lichenized fungus Xanthoria parietina and studied its genetic diversity and structure within the urban area of Munich, Bavaria. We compared its local genetic pattern with that of its photobiont partner Trebouxia decolorans, for which existing microsatellites were applied. For comparison, a reference site with clean air was included in the sampling. We found support for three genetic clusters in the fungus X. parietina, which occurred intermingled in collecting sites. There was a high degree of admixture within fungal populations and individuals, and analysis of molecular variance revealed a lack of population structure in the mycobiont. The Trebouxia photobiont, in contrast, exhibited structured populations which grouped into two to five genetic clusters, and individuals showed less admixture than in the mycobiont. This indicates that the two lichen partners differ in their ability to move around in the landscape. The microsatellite markers we report are polymorphic and are suitable for population genetic studies.

Lichens of the Ramalina siliquosa complex dominate seashore cliffs in Europe and South-East Asia, but their taxonomy has been vigorously debated for over a century. On many cliffs, they exhibit a bewildering zonation of chemotypes that resembles the classic zonation of organisms that occupy the littoral zone below. Do the chemotypes represent separate species, or infraspecific variation? To better understand the systematics of this group, sequences from four genetic loci (ITS, IGS, RPB1 and RPB2) were obtained for 59 samples from Denmark, France, Iceland, Norway, UK, Japan and Korea, including all major chemotypes. Maximum likelihood analysis of these sequences, together with sequences from 36 other Ramalina species, reveals that the complex comprises two distinct phylogenetic lineages, each including multiple chemotypes. These two putative species-level lineages correspond to the currently accepted taxa R. cuspidata and R. siliquosa. There is no evidence that these two taxa are phylogenetic sister species. Consequently, the explanation of this chemotype complex as an example of ‘sibling speciation’ is rejected. Specimens traditionally called ‘R. siliquosa’ from South-East Asia form a third clade, identified here as R. semicuspidata, with an additional, divaricatic acid chemotype. Other results include a robustly supported clade of Ramalina species that produce medullary depsides and depsidones; this clade includes another well-supported clade of south-eastern United States coastal plain and tropical Ramalina species. By contrast, large, strap-shaped Ramalina species that lack medullary depsides and depsidones occur in separate lineages. In addition, close relationships between the following groups of species are indicated: R. farinacea with R. subfarinacea; R. fraxinea with R. leptocarpha, R. menziesii and R. subleptocarpha; R. sinensis with R. unifolia. Furthermore, a new, variolaric acid-only chemotype is reported for R. farinacea, and a new, acid-deficient chemotype is reported for a more broadly circumscribed R. culbersoniorum.

Fungi are one of the most diverse carbon source-assimilating organisms, living as saprobes, parasites and symbionts; they play an important role in carbon cycling in the ecosystem. A lichen thallus provides habitats for many non-lichenized fungi and usually contains large quantities of polyols. However, research has not been undertaken to identify carbon sources of lichen-inhabiting fungi. In this study, we isolated various lichen-inhabiting fungi from surface-sterilized Ramalina spp., Flavoparmelia caperata and Peltigera degenii, and demonstrated their ability to assimilate carbon sources, namely glucose, ribitol and mannitol. Several isolates efficiently assimilated mannitol and ribitol; however, most isolates could assimilate only mannitol or both ribitol and mannitol at low levels. It is suggested that there are different preferences and niche segregation of carbon sources among lichen-inhabiting fungi, and that this assemblage includes fungi with different lifestyles such as saprobes, endophytes and transient visitors.

Zeorin-containing red-fruited Cladonia species, the so-called C. coccifera group, are widespread terrestrial lichens which share most of their secondary substances but differ morphologically. The main objective of this study was to explore whether the current delimitation of these species is supported by molecular data. A total of 52 European and North American specimens of C. coccifera, C. deformis, C. diversa, and C. pleurota were examined. The internal transcribed spacer regions of the nuclear ribosomal DNA and the β-tubulin gene loci were sequenced for phylogenetic analyses. Traditional morphological species circumscriptions in zeorin-containing members of the C. coccifera group are not supported by molecular data. Cladonia coccifera, C. deformis, and C. pleurota were recovered as polyphyletic in both gene topologies; C. diversa formed a lineage in the ITS phylogeny but this was not statistically supported. We detected chemical patterns of the presence/absence of porphyrilic and/or isousnic acid which may help to characterize two lineages. Our results also show incongruence between the two molecular markers studied. Therefore, we focused on possible explanations of this phenomenon. Five major evolutionary mechanisms can potentially result in phylogenetic discordance between genes: presence of pseudogenes, horizontal gene transfer, gene paralogy, incomplete lineage sorting, and hybridization. These mechanisms are briefly discussed. We consider incomplete lineage sorting and/or hybridization to best explain the incongruence.

The new species Oropogon evernicus Essl. & S. Leavitt and O. protocetraricus S. Leavitt & Essl. are described from montane regions of Central America, further increasing the diversity of this genus in the New World. Oropogon evernicus is separated from O. americanus by the presence of medullary tissue directly beneath the pseudocyphellae, while O. protocetraricus is separated from O. caespitosus by the presence of protocetraric acid. The segregation of both species is confirmed by molecular sequence data (nuclear ITS, nuLSU, and β-tubulin). Both species appear to have split from their most recent common ancestor during the Miocene, supporting Miocene-dominated diversification of neotropical Oropogon species found in Central America.

Buellia subericola, a new corticolous species characterized by a brown, blastidiate thallus without secondary chemistry and triseptate to occasionally submuriform ascospores, is described from the southern Iberian Peninsula. The species occurs on Quercus suber in grass-woodlands of cork-oak in the mesomediterranean belt with a warm mediterranean climate and oceanic influence. It is compared with other known Buellia s. lat. taxa which also reproduce asexually and have similar ascospores.

The terricolous lichen Peltigera wulingensis sp. nov. is described from Wuling Mountain, North China. It can be distinguished from other members of the P. rufescens group by its phyllidia along the margin or laminal cracks, scabrose upper surface, lobe extremities with tufts of tiny grey-whitish to pale brown hairs, and its slender, scattered and simple rhizines. Comparisons of the ITS sequences of the nuclear ribosomal DNA repeat tandem support the taxonomic distinctness of this species.

Three new species of Chapsa in the family Graphidaceae are described from tropical Asia. Chapsa mastersonii Rivas Plata, Lumbsch & Lücking from the Philippines is characterized by large apothecia with thickly white-pruinose discs, large, muriform, non-amyloid ascospores, and the stictic acid chemosyndrome. Chapsa wijeyaratniana Weerakon, Lumbsch & Lücking from Sri Lanka has apothecia similar to the preceding species but forms an ecorticate thallus with maculiform to capitate soralia, has small, submuriform ascospores, and lacks secondary substances. Chapsa wolseleyana Weerakon, Lumbsch & Lücking forms apothecia with red to pinkish or purplish red discs and large, muriform ascospores becoming pale brown.

This article traces the changing systems in the classification of the parmelioid lichens from the early 19th century to the present day. Molecular phylogenetic approaches have enabled the relative importance of traditionally used characters to be objectively re-assessed, and led to the realization of the significance of others that had previously been passed over or dismissed; for example, differences in ascospore and conidium types or the cell-wall constituents. Information on the different characters employed is presented and assessed. It is concluded that characters related to thallus form or chemical products prove to be less informative at the generic level than has sometimes been assumed. Features requiring further study are identified, and in the light of experience in this group, lichenologists should be cautious in translating their results into formal taxonomies.

Additions and corrections to the checklist published in 2008 are presented. Ten additional species are recognized: Allantoparmelia almquistii, Asahinea chrysantha, Hypogymnia bryophila, Hypotrachyna afrorevoluta, Melanelixia glabratula, Parmelia encryptata, Parmelina atricha, P. cryptotiliacea, Parmotrema cinereopruinata, and Punctelia rudecta. Myelochroa subaurulenta is deleted, and Xanthoparmelia perezdepazii is also noted as newly described from the Canary Islands. In addition, Cavernularia hultenii is now placed in Hypogymnia, the Canoparmelia crozalsiana group is included within Parmotrema, and Parmelinopsis is treated as a synonym of Hypotrachyna. The typification of the name Lichen quercinus is also corrected with the designation of the original figure as lectotype, and the new combination Hypotrachyna cryptochlora comb. nov. (syn. Parmelia cryptochlora) is made.

The study of the type and additional material of Buellia andicola, B. hypophana and B. reagens has shown that these taxa are conspecific with B. thiopoliza. Buellia thiopoliza is a muscicolous species growing at middle to high altitudes in the mountains of both hemispheres. It is easily recognized by its K+ purple-red yellow pigment mainly concentrated in the hypothecium, and by the presence of xanthones in the thallus and the apothecial tissues. The new combination Tetramelas thiopolizus is proposed. A key to all known Tetramelas species is included. The also muscicolous Buellia hypoleuca is reduced to synonymy with Phaeorrhiza sareptana var. sphaerocarpa.

Amandinea myrticola is described as new from Portugal. This corticolous species is characterized by the thin, smooth to minutely rugose and greyish thallus lacking secondary metabolites, the small lecideine apothecia which exhibit a pseudothalline margin when young and the small, smooth, Physconia-type ascospores with strongly pronounced and persistent median wall thickenings. It occurs on smooth bark in two localities characterized by a Mediterranean climate with an Atlantic influence.

The recently described genus Vahliella (Peltigerales, Ascomycetes) has repeatedly appeared outside the Pannariaceae in molecular phylogenies. Here we include data from additional species of the genus and utilize mtSSU rDNA and RPB1 sequences to confirm its placement as the sister to a group consisting of Lobariaceae, Massalongiaceae, Nephromataceae and Peltigeraceae, in the Peltigerales. The new family Vahliellaceae Wedin, P. M. Jørg. & S. Ekman is described for the genus, and its morphological characteristics are briefly discussed.

Buellia rhizocarpica is described from Mexico. This corticolous species is characterized by a yellowish, granulose thallus, the presence of rhizocarpic acid and an unknown pulvinic acid derivative, apothecia containing large amounts of micromera-green together with yellow crystals which react K+ pinkish and by the presence of very small, Buellia-type ascospores. It grows in a well-preserved Pinus hartwegii forest at c. 4000 m altitude at the base of the volcano Popocatepetl.

Elixia cretica T. Sprib. & Lumbsch is described as a new species from the mountains of western Crete. The second member of the previously monotypic genus and only the third member of the family Elixiaceae, it is distinguished by its surficial thallus, larger ascospores and corticolous habit. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on a sequence of mitochondrial small subunit DNA confirms the position of the new species. We also report E. flexella from New Hampshire (USA) as new to eastern North America.

Buellia nordinii, a new muscicolous or lignicolous species characterized by a blastidiate thallus containing atranorin, apothecia with a fine granular surface, markedly enlarged paraphyses tips and large triseptate ascospores is described from Venezuela. The species grows in very humid situations near the ground in open paramo vegetation at high elevations. It is compared with other known asexually reproducing and triseptate Buellia taxa.

Rinodina fuscoisidiata, a muscicolous isidiate species with large isidia and Pachysporaria-type ascospores is described from Venezuela. This species contains an unknown terpene as a major secondary metabolite in addition to traces of atranorin. It is compared with the four known isidiate Rinodina taxa.

Meridianelia maccarthyana Kantvilas & Lumbsch, gen. et sp. nov., is described, based on collections from Tasmania. This taxon represents only the second member of the family Elixiaceae. It is compared to Elixia flexella (Ach.) Lumbsch and to the superficially similar genus Trapelia. The family Elixiaceae is redefined briefly to account for the inclusion of a second genus.

Rinodina brasiliensis, a corticolous isidiate species with large Pachysporaria-type ascospores is described from south-eastern Brazil. The new species is closely related to R. dolichospora and to R. guianensis.Rinodina confinis is a synonym of R. dolichospora. Notes on the taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, chemistry and distribution of these three taxa are given. Descriptions and iconography are provided. A key to species is also included.

The silicicolous lichen species, Rinodina etayoi Giralt & van den Boom, is described as new from inland localities of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote (Canary Islands). It is characterized by a crustose, whitish thallus containing atranorin, zeorin, chloroatranorin and stictic acid, hemispheric pseudolecanorine apothecia containing, a proper exciple inspersed with numerous and large oil drops, and by ascospores of the Mischoblastia-type. The joint occurrence of pannarin, stictic acid and Mischoblastia-type ascospores makes R. etayoi unique within the genus.