As part of our ongoing research on Peltigera, we recognize a morphologically and phylogenetically distinct new species, Peltigera shennongjiana L. F. Han & S. Y. Guo, from the Shennongjia region of Central China. It is distinguished from other members of the P. canina-group by the presence of abundant phyllidia and flat, branched lobules along the margin or laminal cracks, short lobes, and a pruinose, usually greyish upper surface. The various populations sampled share identical ITS nr DNA sequences, of which the ITS2 regions are characterized by a unique secondary structure. Furthermore, we provide a detailed comparison of the characteristics of P. shennongjiana with morphologically similar species and a key to Peltigera species reported from China.

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.