Taxonomic revision of the Lecania cyrtella group based on molecular and morphological evidence

Abstract

This investigation elucidates relationships within the Lecania cyrtella group (Ramalinaceae, lichenized Ascomycota) by employing morphological, anatomical and molecular methods. The morphological studies included eleven species of Lecania, L. cyrtella, L. cyrtellina, L. dubitans, L. erysibe, L. hutchinsiae, L. leprosa, L. madida, L. prasinoides, L. sambucina, L. sordida and L. sylvestris, and a key to the species plus species descriptions are provided. Lecania madida, a new species from the Pacific Northwest of North America, L. leprosa, a new species from eastern Europe, and L. sordida, a new species from Europe, are described here. The known range of L. prasinoides is greatly extended to include the Baltic countries, Nordic countries and western Canada. Lectotypes are designated for L. cyrtella and L. sambucina. Molecular relationships within the group were examined with haplotype network estimations and phylogenetic reconstructions. Part of the IGS region as well as the complete ITS region were sequenced and analyzed. Both the haplotype network and the phylogenetic analyses indicate that the included species, as conceived in the morphological examinations, all are monophyletic.

• haplotype network analysis
• key to species
• lichens
• maximum parsimony
• new species
• species descriptions
• statistical parsimony

Thanks to Curtis Björk, Tommy Knutsson, Bruce McCune, Jurga Motiejūnaitė, Zdeněk Palice, Toby Spribille, Pieter van den Boom, Jan Vondrák and curators from H, L, LD, LE, TU and UPS for providing specimens and type material for morphological and anatomical studies and sequencing. Anders Nordin provided invaluable help with the Latin descriptions, and Louise Lindblom supplied DNA isolations as positive controls and verification of IGS sequences. Hannes Hertel helped decipher old-style handwriting on several 19th century labels. Stefan Ekman, Leif Tibell, Bengt Oxelman, Katarina Andreasen, Mats Thulin, Cameron Williams and two anonymous reviewers are thanked for constructive comments that improved the manuscript. Last, I am grateful to Stefan Ekman for directing my attention to the “odd lichen” Lecania prasinoides in the first place.