The extensive geographical range of several species ofTeloschistaceae: evidence from Russia

Abstract

AbstractThe current view of the geographical ranges of lichens is often distorted by overly narrow or overly broad applications of names and by insufficient survey of most regions of the world. Here we present several cases where species ofTeloschistaceaeformerly thought to be limited to rather small territories in the western or eastern parts of Eurasia are in fact widespread in northern Eurasia. We support our findings with ITS nrDNA data in several new trees showing relationships in the generaAthallia,Calogaya,Caloplaca,FlavoplacaandGyalolechia. The widespread species have little in common, except that most of them reproduce both sexually and asexually, and we discuss the possible influence of the combined reproduction on geographical range.Calogaya bryochrysion,Calogaya saxicola,Gyalolechia epiphytaandGyalolechia ussuriensisare new combinations.Calogaya alaskensisis a younger synonym forC. bryochrysion. The generally arctic-alpineCalogaya bryochrysionalso occurs on the bark of solitary trees in dry parts of the Altai Mountains. The AustralianFlavoplaca cranfieldiiis a younger synonym ofF. flavocitrina.Gyalolechia epiphytahas been described numerous times, from different regions and substrata, asCaloplaca juniperi,C. laricina,C. tarani,Gyalolechia arizonicaandG. juniperina. The nameGyalolechia xanthostigmoideahas recently been used forG. epiphyta, but it represents a distinct taxon.Gyalolechia ussuriensisis closely related to and morphologically indistinguishable fromG. persimilis, but they have a different ecology and distribution and we regard them as distinct species.Caloplaca juniperinaTomin is lectotypified.