New members of the Megasporaceae (Pertusariales, lichen-forming Ascomycota): Megaspora iranica spec. nova and Oxneriaria gen. nova

Abstract

The new species Megaspora iranica M. Haji Moniri et S. Y. Kondr. is described from NE Iran, illustrated and compared with closely related taxa. It is similar to the recently described M. rimisorediata, which is known from Eurasia (from SE Europe and Middle Asia (Armenia) to Central Asia, i.e. Iran and China), but differing in having larger thallus, smaller soredia, thicker cortical layer of thallus, thicker hymenium, narrower ascospores and thinner ascospore wall. Megaspora rimisorediata is for the first time recorded from Europe (eastern Ukraine, Kharkiv oblast). Additional data to its diagnosis is given based on extensive collections from Eurasia. The new genus Oxneriaria S. Y. Kondr. et L. Lőkös (for the former Aspicilia mashiginensis group) found to be a member of the Sagedia clade and positioning in distant position from the Aspicilia / Circinaria clade after three gene phylogeny based on nrITS, 28S nrLSU and 12S mtSSU sequences. The members of the genus Oxneriaria mainly distributed in cold polar and high altitude localities of Eurasia and the northern hemisphere. Nine new combinations, i.e.: Oxneriaria dendroplaca (basionym: Lecanora dendroplaca H. Magn.), Oxneriaria haeyrenii (basionym: Lecanora haeyrenii H. Magn.), Oxneriaria mashiginensis (basionym: Lecanora mashiginensis Zahlbr.), Oxneriaria nikrapensis (basionym: Aspicilia nikrapensis Darb.), Oxneriaria permutata (basionym: Lecanora permutata Zahlbr.), Oxneriaria rivulicola (basionym: Lecanora rivulicola H. Magn.), Oxneriaria supertegens (basionym: Aspicilia supertegens Arnold), Oxneriaria verruculosa (basionym: Aspicilia verruculosa Kremp.), and Oxneriaria virginea (basionym: Aspicilia virginea Hue) are proposed.