Genus Sticta Research Articles

Additional new species and new records of the genus Sticta (lichenised Ascomycota, lobarioid Peltigeraceae) from Bolivia.

Four species of the genus Sticta are described as new from Bolivia, based on morphological examination and phylogenetic analysis of the fungal ITS barcoding marker. Additionally, two species are reported as new to Bolivia (their identification confirmed by molecular data) and one previously reported species is confirmed by molecular data for the first time. Detailed morphological and anatomical descriptions are provided for all new species. Two of the new species, S.isidiolobulata Ossowska, B. Moncada, Lücking & Kukwa and S.madidiensis Ossowska, B. Moncada, Lücking & Kukwa belong to clade I, as defined in previous studies. In contrast, S.montepunkuensis Ossowska, B. Moncada, Lücking & Kukwa and S.macrolobata Ossowska, B. Moncada, Lücking & Kukwa, also described here as new to science, belong to clade III. Stictaisidiolobulata has an irregular to suborbicular thallus of medium size, with isidia developing into spathulate lobules, cyanobacterial photobiont and apothecia with entire to weakly-crenate margins. The large irregular thallus of the cyanobacteria-associated S.macrolobata has broad lobes, apothecia with verrucous to tomentose margins and cyphellae with raised margins, whereas S.madidiensis has a medium-sized, palmate to irregular thallus with a stipe, but without vegetative propagules and apothecia. Stictamontepunkuensis has large and irregular thalli with green algae as photobiont, apothecia with crenate to verrucous margins and urceolate cyphellae with a wide pore and a scabrid basal membrane. Two species, S.beauvoisii Delise and S.riparia Merc.-Díaz are reported as new to Bolivia (the latter also as new to South America) and belong to clade III. Stictatomentosa (Sw.) Ach., species confirmed from Bolivia by molecular data, belongs to clade II. Stictabeauvoisii is characterised by a smooth yellowish-brown upper surface with darker apices and abundant, marginal isidia and a brown lower surface with golden-chocolate brown primary tomentum and sparse, golden-brown rhizines. Stictariparia has a strongly branched thallus, with undulate lobes and abundant, marginal, palmate, grey to dark brown phyllidia and greyish-brown lower surface with the primary tomentum absent towards the margins. Stictatomentosa has palmate, bluish thalli with white cilia and abundant, submarginal apothecia and creamy-white lower surface with a sparse, white primary tomentum.

Species assemblages of insular Caribbean Sticta (lichenized Ascomycota: Peltigerales) over ecological and evolutionary time scales

Phylogenetic approaches to macroevolution have provided unique insight into evolutionary relationships, ancestral ranges, and diversification patterns for many taxa. Similar frameworks have also been developed to assess how environmental and/or spatial variables shape species diversity and distribution patterns at different spatial/temporal scales, but studies implementing these are still scarce for many groups, including lichens. Here, we combine phylogeny-based ancestral range reconstruction and diversification analysis with community phylogenetics to reconstruct evolutionary origins and assess patterns of taxonomic and phylogenetic relatedness between island communities of the lichenized fungal genus Sticta in the Caribbean. Sampling was carried out in the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico) and Lesser Antilles (Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Martinique). Data for six molecular loci were obtained for 64 candidate Caribbean species and used to perform both macroevolutionary phylogenetics, which also included worldwide taxa, and phylobetadiversity analyses, which emphasized island-level communities. Our work uncovered high levels of island endemism (∼59%) in Caribbean Sticta. We estimate initial colonization of the region occurred about 19 Mya from a South American ancestor. Reverse migration events by Caribbean lineages to South America were also inferred. We found no evidence for increased diversification rates associated with range expansion into the Caribbean. Taxonomic and phylogenetic turnover between island-level communities was most strongly correlated with environmental variation rather than with geographic distance. We observed less dissimilarity among communities from the Dominican Republic and Jamaica than between these islands and the Lesser Antilles/Puerto Rico. High levels of hidden diversity and endemism in Caribbean Sticta reaffirm that islands are crucial for the maintenance of global biodiversity of lichenized fungi. Altogether, our findings suggest that strong evolutionary links exist between Caribbean and South American biotas but at regional scales, species assemblages exhibit complex taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships that are determined by local environments and shared evolutionary histories.

Resolving the Sticta fuliginosa Morphodeme (Lichenized Ascomycota: Peltigeraceae) in Northwestern North America

Sticta is a subcosmopolitan, predominantly epiphytic lichenizing fungal genus characteristic of open sites in humid late-successional ecosystems. Recent molecular analysis has shown that the laminally isidiate species S. fuliginosa, long assumed to be well delimited, encompasses >20 phylospecies which, taken together, constitute the S. fuliginosa morphodeme. Here we elucidate the northwestern North American members of this morphodeme based on a rich sampling from throughout the Pacific Northwest regions of the U.S.A. and Canada: Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon and Washington. Our results support recognition of five species, three of which – S. arenosella sp. nov., S. fasciculata sp. nov. and S. torii – appear to be endemic. Of the remainder, S. globulifuliginosa was described from Colombia, while S. gretae sp. nov. occurs also in the Canary Islands and China. Two of our new species – S. fasciculata and S. gretae comprise a new phylogenetic lineage and is referred to as the S. gretae clade. New taxonomically informative thallus characters are introduced and a key to the genus Sticta in northwest North America is provided.

The Lichen Genus Sticta (Lobariaceae, Peltigerales) in East African Montane Ecosystems.

The lichen flora of Africa is still poorly known. In many parts of the tropics, recent studies utilizing DNA methods have revealed extraordinary diversity among various groups of lichenized fungi, including the genus Sticta. In this study, East African Sticta species and their ecology are reviewed using the genetic barcoding marker nuITS and morphological characters. The studied regions represent montane areas in Kenya and Tanzania, including the Taita Hills and Mt. Kilimanjaro, which belong to the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot. Altogether 14 Sticta species are confirmed from the study region, including the previously reported S. fuliginosa, S. sublimbata, S. tomentosa, and S. umbilicariiformis. Sticta andina, S. ciliata, S. duplolimbata, S. fuliginoides, and S. marginalis are reported as new to Kenya and/or Tanzania. Sticta afromontana, S. aspratilis, S. cellulosa, S. cyanocaperata, and S. munda, are described as new to science. The abundance of new diversity detected and the number of taxa represented by only few specimens show that more comprehensive sampling of the region may be needed to reveal the true diversity of Sticta in East Africa. More generally, our results highlight the need for further taxonomic studies of lichenized fungi in the region.

Phylogenetic Studies and Metabolite Analysis of Sticta Species from Colombia and Chile by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution-Q-Orbitrap-Mass Spectrometry.

Eleven species of lichens of the genus Sticta, ten of which were collected in Colombia (S. pseudosylvatica S. luteocyphellata S. cf. andina S. cf. hypoglabra, S. cordillerana, S. cf. gyalocarpa S. leucoblepharis, S. parahumboldtii S. impressula, S. ocaniensis) and one collected in Chile (S. lineariloba), were analyzed for the first time using hyphenated liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry. In the metabolomic analysis, a total of 189 peaks were tentatively detected; the analyses were divided in five (5) groups of compounds comprising lipids, small phenolic compounds, saturated acids, terpenes, and typical phenolic lichen compounds such as depsides, depsidones and anthraquinones. The metabolome profiles of these eleven species are important since some compounds were identified as chemical markers for the fast identification of Sticta lichens for the first time. Finally, the usefulness of chemical compounds in comparison to traditional morphological traits to the study of ancestor–descendant relationships in the genus was assessed. Chemical and morphological consensus trees were not consistent with each other and recovered different relationships between taxa.

TheSticta filix - Sticta laceraconundrum (lichenized Ascomycota: Peltigeraceae subfamily Lobarioideae): unresolved lineage sorting or developmental switch?

AbstractWe assessed the status of two New Zealand endemic morphodemes in the genus Sticta, currently treated as two separate taxa, Sticta filix and Sticta lacera. Both are green-algal lichens with a distinct stipe that grow in forested habitats and are suitable indicators of the indigenous vegetation health in forest ecosystems in New Zealand. They exhibit different morphologies and substrate ecologies: S. filix forms rather robust thalli, often on exposed trunks of phorophytes, with erect stems distinctly emerging from the substrate, whereas S. lacera is a more delicate lichen growing near the base of trees, usually among bryophyte mats or sheltered in the exposed portions of the phorophyte root-plate, with a prostrate, branched, stolon-like stem barely emerging from the substrate. Throughout their range, both taxa grow sympatrically and often in close proximity (syntopically). Despite the differences, ITS barcoding does not support the two morphodemes as separate species. In this study we assessed two possible explanations: (1) S. filix and S. lacera are discrete phenotypes of a single species, caused by developmental switching triggered by a discrete environmental variable, the propagules developing either on bare substrate or between bryophytes; and (2) the two morphodemes represent separate lineages, but ITS does not provide sufficient resolution to reflect this. We performed a quantitative analysis of morphological and ecological parameters, based on vouchered herbarium collections and field observations on iNaturalist NZ (https://inaturalist.nz), to assess the level of discreteness of the growth forms and to test for a correlation with the presence of a bryophyte mat. We further took advantage of an existing molecular data set from a target capture approach, comprised of 205 protein markers. This data set was used to establish a framework of percentage identities between pairs of the same and of different species among lobarioid Peltigeraceae and then to test whether the S. filix/lacera pairing fell closer to a within-species or a between-species pairing. The morphometric analysis of herbarium material resolved S. filix and S. lacera as two discrete morphs with little overlap, supported by numerous observations on iNaturalist NZ. However, whereas herbarium material suggested a significant association of the lacera morph with bryophyte mats, no such pattern was evident from field images on iNaturalist NZ, in which both morphs frequently associated with bryophyte mats. This highlights the limitations of herbarium material to correctly assess substrate ecology, whereas iNaturalist NZ postings had issues with correct identifications, given that especially S. lacera is easily confused with Pseudocyphellaria multifida. Based on the target capture data, the percentage identity of the S. filix/lacera pairing (99.43%) was significantly higher than that of all 12 between-species pairings (93.20–98.01%); it was at the same time lower than that of all within-species pairings (99.63–99.99%) but significantly so only in comparison with five out of the eight within-species pairings. The target capture approach is thus inconclusive, but the combination of all data suggests that S. filix and S. lacera are not discrete morphodemes of a single species but represent two separate lineages which emerged recently and hence cannot be resolved using the ITS barcoding marker or even a deeper phylogenomic approach based on protein-coding markers. We propose transplantation experiments and the application of RADseq to further assess this situation.

Elucidating species richness in lichen fungi: The genus Sticta (Ascomycota: Peltigeraceae) in Puerto Rico

AbstractTraditional taxonomic studies provide only a limited understanding of species richness within a group. Their usefulness for assessing species diversity could also be limited as many lack sufficient sampling and/or fail to integrate different data types for assessing species boundaries. To explore the challenges and limitations of estimating species richness in lichens, we employed an integrative taxonomic approach to elucidate diversification patterns of the genus Sticta (Peltigeraceae) in Puerto Rico. Specimens were collected throughout the island, and a six‐locus dataset was generated to infer phylogenetic relationships among Puerto Rican Sticta and their continental counterparts. Phylogenetic analysis was combined with species delimitation methods and analysis of morpho‐anatomical characters to assess diversity patterns and clarify species‐level taxonomy. We found that Sticta is represented by 16 species in Puerto Rico and that at least 11 (69%) of them are potentially endemic to the island. We describe eight of these in this work: S. borinquensis sp. nov., S. corymbosa sp. nov., S. densiphyllidiata sp. nov., S. guilartensis sp. nov., S. harrisii sp. nov., S. parvilobata sp. nov., S. riparia sp. nov., and S. tainorum sp. nov. These species do not cluster in a monophyletic assemblage but are scattered over the broader Sticta phylogeny, indicating at least eight separate dispersal events. Putative endemic species were found to have close allies occurring in South America. Careful re‐examination of material revealed phenotypical characters that separate most species, suggesting low levels of cryptic diversity. We highlight that integrating molecular methods and other sources of information in species discovery along with comprehensive sampling efforts can greatly enhance our knowledge about diversity patterns in poorly studied groups and regions. Furthermore, species and ecosystems in the Caribbean are being threatened by substantial human‐driven changes (e.g., deforestation, climate change). Consequences of these impacts include reduction in already restricted habitats and potential extinction. We argue that studies analyzing species diversity within a phylogenetic framework could better inform conservation efforts aimed at addressing these challenges.

Cophylogenetic patterns in algal symbionts correlate with repeated symbiont switches during diversification and geographic expansion of lichen-forming fungi in the genus Sticta (Ascomycota, Peltigeraceae)

Species in the fungal genus Sticta form symbiotic associations primarily with either green algae or cyanobacteria, but tripartite associations or photosymbiodemes involving both types of photobionts occur in some species. Sticta is known to associate with green algae in the genus Symbiochloris. However, previous studies have shown that algae from other genera, such as Heveochlorella, may also be suitable partners for Sticta. We examined the diversity of green algal partners in the genus Sticta and assessed the patterns of association between the host fungus and its algal symbiont. We used multi-locus sequence data from multiple individuals collected in Australia, Cuba, Madagascar, Mauritius, New Zealand, Reunion and South America to infer phylogenies for fungal and algal partners and performed tests of congruence to assess coevolution between the partners. In addition, event-based methods were implemented to examine which cophylogenetic processes have led to the observed association patterns in Sticta and its green algal symbionts. Our results show that in addition to Symbiochloris, Sticta associates with green algae from the genera Chloroidium, Coccomyxa, Elliptochloris and Heveochlorella, the latter being the most common algal symbiont associated with Sticta in this study. Geography plays a strong role in shaping fungal-algal association patterns in Sticta as mycobionts associate with different algal lineages in different geographic locations. While fungal and algal phylogenies were mostly congruent, event-based methods did not find any evidence for cospeciation between the partners. Instead, the association patterns observed in Sticta and associated algae, were largely explained by other cophylogenetic events such as host-switches, losses of symbiont and failure of the symbiont to diverge with its host. Our results also show that tripartite associations with green algae evolved multiple times in Sticta.

Rewriting the evolutionary history of the lichen genus Sticta (Ascomycota: Peltigeraceae subfam. Lobarioideae) in the Hawaiian islands

Hawaiian lichen species have been thought to be widespread, with low endemism. Nine species of the genus Sticta (Peltigeraceae subfamily Lobarioideae) have previously been reported for Hawaii, all supposedly cosmopolitan or Pantropical or widespread in the Paleotropics except for the putative endemic S. plumbicolor. This study is the first one employing a molecular phylogenetic approach to Hawaiian Sticta, elucidating the relationships of these conspicuous and ecologically important macrolichens. We sequenced the ITS fungal barcoding locus and used a maximum likelihood approach to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships of Hawaiian Sticta from a large dataset of more than 200 species. Thirteen species were identified among Hawaiian Sticta, four more than previously recorded. Of these, seven are new to science and putatively endemic to Hawaii. Only four previously reported species were confirmed: S. fuliginosa, S. limbata, S. plumbicolor and S. tomentosa. Together with S. plumbicolor and S. scabrosa subsp. hawaiiensis (described elsewhere), putative endemism in Hawaiian Sticta is estimated at 69%. The 13 species correspond to nine or ten colonization events, predominantly from the Australasian realm. Thus, the evolutionary history of Sticta lichens in the Hawaiian archipelago is very different from what has been assumed, and matches that of other organisms in many aspects. The seven new species, all with cyanobacterial photobionts, are Sticta acyphellata, a small, stipitate Sticta with isidia and lacking cyphellae; S. antoniana, a mid-sized Sticta with abundant marginal lobules, apothecia, and a thick, grey-brown lower tomentum ending abruptly to leave a bare marginal zone; S. emmanueliana, a small, shortly stipitate Sticta forming small lobes with marginal isidia and black cilia; S. flynnii, a small, shortly stipitate Sticta with largely unbranched thallus with marginal isidia and a veined underside producing large, irregular cyphellae; S. hawaiiensis, a small Sticta with a suborbicular thallus with laminal isidia, conspicuous white cilia, and papillae on the membrane of the cyphellae; S. smithii, a small, stipitate Sticta with marginal, flattened isidia and small cyphellae; and S. waikamoi, a small to mid-sized Sticta with a much-branched thallus with slightly canaliculate lobes and marginal, dark isidia, and a thick, dark brown lower tomentum with strongly contrasting whitish cyphellae.

Oligocene origin and drivers of diversification in the genus Sticta (Lobariaceae, Ascomycota)

A major challenge to evolutionary biologists is to understand how biodiversity is distributed through space and time and across the tree of life. Diversification of organisms is influenced by many factors that act at different times and geographic locations but it is still not clear which have a significant impact and how drivers interact. To study diversification, we chose the lichen genus Sticta, by sampling through most of the global range and producing a time tree. We estimate that Sticta originated about 30 million years ago, but biogoegraphic analysis was unclear in estimating the origin of the genus. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of dispersal ability finding that Sticta has a high dispersal rate, as collections from Hawaii showed that divergent lineages colonized the islands at least four times. Symbiont interactions were investigated using BiSSE to understand if green-algal or cyanobacterial symbiont interactions influenced diversification, only to find that the positive results were driven almost completely by Type I error. On the other hand, another BiSSE analysis found that an association with Andean tectonic activity increases the speciation rate of species.

Alpha Diversity of Lichens Associated withQuercus laurinain a Mountain Cloud Forest at Cofre de Perote Eastern Slope (La Cortadura), Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract An inventory of epiphyte lichens was carried out on 15 phorophytes of Quercus laurina Humb. & Bonpl. located along a mountain ridge in a mountain cloud forest at La Cortadura Ecological Reserve, Coatepec, Veracruz. For each tree the five zones following Johansson's method were distinguished. Ascents were made in selected trees using the single-rope technique, collecting samples along the trunk and some branches of the crown. A total of 126 lichen species were found, belonging to 60 genera, 24 families and 10 orders. The most diverse genus was Graphis (12 species), followed by Parmotrema (9), Hypotrachyna (8), Pertusaria and Usnea (5). Crustose lichens dominated (79%) over foliose (38%) and fruticose (8%) types. Although some species preferred one of the trees while others were common to all (13), no significant differences were observed between phorophytes. The genus Sticta was found in basal and intermediate tree zones; Ramalina and Usnea were recorded in all areas. Twenty-one new records are re...

<I>Sticta deyana</I>: A New Endemic Photomorphic Lichen from the Imperiled Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain of Eastern North America

Abstract An intensive lichen biodiversity inventory of the imperiled Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain of eastern North America resulted in the discovery of a new species of the ecologically sensitive macrolichen genus Sticta. The species is formally described as S. deyana based on a combination of molecular and morphological data. It is most similar to the southern Appalachian endemic S. fragilinata, differing in its diminutive thallus, narrower lobes, and allopatric distribution. All but one population of S. deyana occurs within the Dare Regional Biodiversity Hotspot of coastal North Carolina and within the most conservative estimated sea-level rise by 2100.

Metabolic Profiling of Alpine and Ecuadorian Lichens.

Non-targeted 1H-NMR methods were used to determine metabolite profiles from crude extracts of Alpine and Ecuadorian lichens collected from their natural habitats. In control experiments, the robustness of metabolite detection and quantification was estimated using replicate measurements of Stereocaulon alpinum extracts. The deviations in the overall metabolite fingerprints were low when analyzing S. alpinum collections from different locations or during different annual and seasonal periods. In contrast, metabolite profiles observed from extracts of different Alpine and Ecuadorian lichens clearly revealed genus- and species-specific profiles. The discriminating functions determining cluster formation in principle component analysis (PCA) were due to differences in the amounts of genus-specific compounds such as sticticin from the Sticta species, but also in the amounts of ubiquitous metabolites, such as sugar alcohols or trehalose. However, varying concentrations of these metabolites from the same lichen species e.g., due to different environmental conditions appeared of minor relevance for the overall cluster formation in PCA. The metabolic clusters matched phylogenetic analyses using nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of lichen mycobionts, as exemplified for the genus Sticta. It can be concluded that NMR-based non-targeted metabolic profiling is a useful tool in the chemo-taxonomy of lichens. The same approach could also facilitate the discovery of novel lichen metabolites on a rapid and systematical basis.

Dismantling the treasured flagship lichen Sticta fuliginosa (Peltigerales) into four species in Western Europe

In the framework of a worldwide project on the phylogeny of the lichen genus Sticta, dedicated sampling was performed in four regions of Western Europe, roughly along an east–west line between N 48°02′ E 07°01′ and N 52°01′ W 09°30′, ranging from France/Vosges to Ireland/Kerry. Five clearly distinct ITS haplotypes were detected for isidia-producing species where only two were expected. Subtle anatomical and morphological characters, together with a strongly supported 4-loci molecular phylogeny, permit distinguishing, besides the easily recognized S. canariensis and S. limbata: 1) the two well-known S. fuliginosa and S. sylvatica, whose type collections have been carefully reassessed; the former is widespread in both hemispheres, while the latter is correctly identified only from continental Europe and the Andes in Colombia. The barcode ITS of S. fuliginosa differs by a single substitution from S. limbata (with a single exception), and the 4-loci phylogenetic tree does not resolve them as distinct lineages, most probably highlighting a very recent divergence and incomplete lineage sorting. 2) Three species that were formely included in S. fuliginosa: the resurrected S. ciliata Taylor, belonging to a complex group yet to be disentangled and occurring in the Neotropics, Africa, Macaronesia, and Western Europe, and two species described as new to science, S. fuliginoides, found in continental Europe, the Canary Islands, eastern North America, and Colombia, and S. atlantica only known from Ireland and the Azores archipelago. Molecular inferences demonstrate active divergence and dispersion within S. ciliata that may require recognition of further species. Fresh material can be identified with a morphological and anatomical preliminary key provided here. We propose that the taxonomy of all lichen species be urgently reviewed in the light of molecular data in an evolutionary context, particularly those used as bioindicators of environmental change and woodland management.

The Lichen Genus Sticta in South Korea

Sticta (Schreber.) Ach. is one of the common lichen genera in tropical and subtropical regions, but not in the Korean Peninsula. For almost two decades, no detailed taxonomic or revisionary study has been done on this genus. This study was based on the specimens deposited in the lichen herbarium at the Korean Lichen Research Institute, and the samples were identified on the basis of recent literature. In this revisionary study, a total of eight species of Sticta, including a newly recorded one are documented. These species include Sticta fuliginosa (Dicks.) Ach., Sticta gracilis (Müll. Arg.) Zahlbr., Sticta limbata (Sm.) Ach., Sticta nylanderiana Zahlbr., Sticta sublimbata (J. Steiner) Swinscow & Krog, Sticta weigelii (Ach.) Vain., Sticta wrightii Tuck., and Sticta yatabeana Müll. Arg. Detailed descriptions of S. nylanderiana, S. sublimbata, S. weigelii, and S. yatabeana with their morphological, anatomical, and chemical characteristics are provided. A key description of all known Sticta species of the Korean Peninsula is also presented.

Ecogeography of the genus Sticta (lichenized Ascomycota: Lobariaceae) in Colombia

Colombia is a megadiverse country, but with a substantial gap in the taxonomic and ecological knowledge of fungi and lichens. Thus, the objective of the present study was an ecogeographical analysis of the Sticta species in Colombia. The data included macrodistribution (with respect to mountain ranges and life zones) and microhabitat preferences (light, substrate) and were obtained from field work and herbarium collection labels (completed by comparison with modern geographic and vegetation maps), for 103 species of Sticta currently recognized in Colombia (plus seven additional biotypes with different photobionts or reproductive mode). Using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS), correlations between ecogeographical variables and species were established, and ecotypes were delimited. Colombian species of Sticta showed distinct distribution patterns relative to altitude, mountain ranges, life zones, as well as light exposure and substrate, forming several distinct groups. Cyanobacterial species tend to have wider distribution ranges than green algal species. We concluded that the orogeny of the Northern Andes substantially affected speciation of the genus Sticta and its ecogeographical differentiation.

Neotropical members of Sticta (lichenized Ascomycota: Lobariaceae) forming photosymbiodemes, with the description of seven new species

As part of a larger systematic and taxonomic revision of the genus Sticta in the northern Andes, several species were discovered forming green algal and cyanobacterial photosymbiodemes, seven of which are new to science and are described here—S. lobarioides Moncada & Coca, S. macrothallina Moncada & Coca, S. neopulmonarioides Moncada & Coca, S. phyllidiokunthii Moncada & Lücking, S. pseudolobaria Moncada & Coca, S. pulmonarioides Moncada & Coca, and S. tatamana Moncada & Coca. All species are discussed and illustrated, and a key to species with Lobaria pulmonaria gross morphology is given.

Molecular phylogeny of the genus Sticta (lichenized Ascomycota: Lobariaceae) in Colombia

We present a molecular phylogenetic study of the lichen genus Sticta focusing on Colombia, using the ITS fungal barcoding gene for a total of 370 ingroup OTUs, with 322 newly generated sequences. The topology resulting from a maximum likelihood approach does not support current species concepts in Sticta, which use a morphological concept, but in contrast shows that similar morphodemes evolved multiple times independently within the genus. As a consequence, currently applied names such as S. fuliginosa and S. weigelii comprise numerous (up to more than 20) unrelated species-level lineages, which can be distinguished also phenotypically using previously unrecognized characters such as lobe configuration, lobe surface structure, tomentum type, and anatomy of the basal membrane of the cyphellae. We conclude that the genus Sticta contains about four to five times the number of species currently recognized. In Colombia alone, approximately 150 species of Sticta are present.

The Lichen Genus Sticta in the Great Smoky Mountains: A Phylogenetic Study of Morphological, Chemical, and Molecular Data

Abstract In this paper we segregate specimens from the genus Sticta in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park into phenotypic groups corresponding to putative species using traditional taxonomic methods, paying particular attention to specimens from the S. weigelii s. l. group, then employ phylogenetic analyses and rigorous statistics to test the robustness of these species groups. In order to circumscribe putative species and to resolve the S. weigelii complex, morphological, chemical, and molecular characters from the nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences of the entire Internal Transcribed Spacer region are analyzed separately and simultaneously using maximum parsimony or maximum likelihood. In addition to the bootstrap method, Bayesian statistics with the Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm are used to estimate branch robustness on the resulting reconstructed trees. Five out of six analyses recover the same five monophyletic putative species from the genus Sticta, indicating the concordance of DNA-based and ...

Secondary metabolites in the genus Sticta (lichens).

Secondary metabolites in the genus Sticta (lichens).