Two new species of Lecanora sensu stricto (Lecanoraceae, Ascomycota) from east Africa

Thorsten Lumbsch,Sittiporn Parnmen,Paul Kirika

doi:10.3897/mycokeys.3.3201

Thorsten Lumbsch, Sittiporn Parnmen + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.3.3201

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Abstract

The new sorediate species Lecanora kenyana from Mount Kenya and L. orientoafricana from the Rift Valley in Kenya are described. L. kenyana has red-brown apothecia with a constricted base, a melacarpella–type amphithecium, pulicaris–type epihymenium, a hyaline hypothecium, and contains usnic acid as major constituent. L. orientoafricana is characterized bya dark hypothecium, pulicaris-type amphithecium, chlarotera-epihymenium, and contains atranorin and gangaleoidin. A phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood and a Bayesian approach based on DNA sequence data of mtSSU and ITS rDNA support that both new species belong to Lecanora sensu stricto and cluster with species containing usnic acid ora dark hypothecium, respectively.

Highlights

Lecanora is the major genus of Lecanoraceae (Lumbsch and Huhndorf 2010) and includes crustose lichens with hyaline, usually non-septate ascospores, Lecanora–type asci and mostly lecanorine apothecia
The core group of Lecanora sensu stricto is characterized by the presence of calcium oxalate crystals in the amphithecium, filiform conidia, and the presence of atranorin and/or usnic acid
Among the collections from the Mount Kenya area and the Rift Valley we found two corticolous species, one sorediate taxon with usnic acid and a morphologically somewhat similar species with a dark hypothecium

Summary

Introduction

Lecanora is the major genus of Lecanoraceae (Lumbsch and Huhndorf 2010) and includes crustose (incl. placodioid) lichens with hyaline, usually non-septate ascospores, Lecanora–type asci and mostly lecanorine apothecia. To confirm the placement of the new species in Lecanora sensu stricto, we generated DNA sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and partial sequences of the small subunit of the mitochondrial ribosomal DNA (mtSSU) and performed a phylogenetic analysis with sequences available in Genbank. Lecanora kenyana is characterized by relatively large, red-brown apothecia with a constricted base, a melacarpella–type amphithecium, pulicaris–type epihymenium, the presence of usnic acid as major constituent, and the presence of soralia.

Results

Conclusion