New records of pyrenocarpous lichens from the Philippines

Abstract

Pyrenocarpous lichens are an important component of the forest ecosystem, yet remain understudied. Following the recent field surveys of the lichen biota in Mt. Musuan, four pyrenolichen species previously unreported from the Philippines were collected, namely: Porina exocha, Pyrenula pyrenuloides, P. subsoluta, and Nigrovothelium inspersotropicum. Each species is briefly described with morphology and chemistry, distribution, ecology, notes, and illustrations. These collections underscore the need for expanded research attention to fully catalogue the lichen diversity in the Philippines.