New species and further additions to the foliicolous lichen flora of Kenya (East Africa), including the first lichenicolous Aulaxina (Ostropales: Gomphillaceae)

Abstract

An updated list of foliicolous lichens and their lichenicolous fungi known from Kenya (East Africa), chiefly based on a collection by the second author at three different localities, is presented. The new collections yielded 77 species, including three lichenicolous fungi, and two species and one subspecies are described as new: Arthonia pocsii Lucking & Kalb sp. nov., Asterothyrium septemseptatum subsp. africanum Lucking & Kalb ssp. nov. and Aulaxina aggregata Lucking & Kalb sp. nov.. The latter has also been found in material from Costa Rica and is the first known lichenicolous species in the genus. Porina atropunctata Lucking & Vezda is placed into synonymy with P. karnatakensis Makhija et al. and P. multiloculata Makhija et al. into synonymy with P. lucida R. Sant. Furthermore, the following two new combinations are proposed: Coenogonium tanzanicum (Vezda & Farkas) Lucking & Kalb comb. nov. [Bas. Dimerella tanzanica Vezda & Farkas] and Sporopodium pilocarpoides (Zahlbr.) Lucking & Kalb comb. nov. [Lopadium pilocarpoides Zahlbr.]. Byssoloma discordans (Nyl.) Vain., Calenia bullatinoides Lucking, Porina karnatakensis Makhija et al.Sporopodium citrinum (Zahlbr.) Elix, Lumbsch & Lucking, Sporopodium pilocarpoides (Zahlbr.) Lucking & Kalb, Strigula nigrocarpa Lucking, and the lichenicolous fungi Arthonia atropunctata Vain. and Gyalideopsis parvula Haf. & Vezda are new for the African continent (excluding Madagascar). The number of foliicolous lichen species known from Kenya is raised from 27 to 92, together with five lichenicolous fungi growing on them. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 139, 171–180.