Sticta

Abstract: To provide a comprehensive molecular phylogeny for peltigeralean fungi and to establish a classification based on monophyly, phylogenetic analyses were carried out on sequences from the nuclear ribosomal large (LSU) and small (SSU) subunits obtained from 113 individuals that represent virtually all main lineages of ascomycetes. Analyses were also conducted on a subset of 77 individuals in which the ingroup consisted of 59 individuals representing six families, 12 genera, and 54 species potentially part of the Peltigerineae/ Peltigerales. Our study revealed that all six families together formed a strongly supported monophyletic group within the Lecanoromycetidae. We propose here a new classification for these lichens consisting of the order Peltigerales and two suborders—Collematineae subordo nov. (Collemataceae, Placynthiaceae, and Pannariaceae) and Peltigerineae (Lobariaceae, Nephromataceae, and Peltigeraceae). To accommodate these new monophyletic groups, we redefined the Lecanorineae, Pertusariales, and Lecanorales sensu Eriksson et al. (Outline of Ascomycota—2003, Myconet 9: 1‐103, 2003). Our study confirms the monophyly of the Collemataceae, Lobariaceae, Nephromataceae, and Peltigeraceae, and the genera Nephroma, Sticta, and Peltigera. However, Leptogium, Lobaria, Pseudocyphellaria, and Solorina were found to be nonmonophyletic genera. Reconstruction of ancestral symbiotic states within the Peltigerales, using maximum likelihood (ML) and a Bayesian approach to account for phylogenetic uncertainty, revealed an evolutionary scenario in which bimembered associations with cyanobacteria were ancestral, followed by multiple independent acquisitions of green algae to form tripartite symbioses and rare subsequent losses of the cyanobiont to form bimembered symbioses with green algae.

Abstract: The generic classification of Lobariaceae based on a three-gene phylogeny of mtSSU, nuLSU and ITS data, with special reference to the genus Lobariella, is reassessed. Twelve well-supported clades are recognized within Lobariaceae, which correlate with morpho-chemical and ecological features and are suggested to represent distinct generic lineages within the family. Lobaria s. lat. forms at least six lineages: Lobaria s. str. (type L. pulmonaria), the Pseudocyphellaria anomala group, for which the genus Anomalobaria is introduced (type A. anomala), Lobarina (type L. scrobiculata), Ricasolia (type R. amplissima; syn.: Dendriscocaulon), the Sticta wrightii group, for which the genus Dendriscosticta is introduced (type D. wrightii), the Lobaria peltigera group, for which the genus Yoshimuriella is introduced (type Y. fendleri), and Lobariella (type L. crenulata; syn: Durietzia nom. illeg.). Pseudocyphellaria s. lat. comprises four lineages, each of which having genus-level names available: Crocodia (type C. aurata), Parmostictina (type P. hirsuta), Podostictina (type P. endochrysoides), and Pseudocyphellaria (type P. crocata). The Pseudocyphellaria anomala group (Anomalobaria) comes out sister to Lobaria s. str., whereas Sticta s. lat. forms two unrelated lineages, Sticta s. str. (type S. sylvatica) and the S. wrightii group (Dendriscosticta), which is closely related to Lobariella and the Lobaria peltigera group (Yoshimuriella). Although these twelve clades can be organized into three larger clades that largely correspond to the traditional genera Lobaria, Pseudocyphellaria, and Sticta, the clade support for Pseudocyphellaria s. lat., as well as the distribution of morpho-chemical characters over the topology, does not favour such a conclusion. In particular, the most relevant characters traditionally used to separate these genera, pseudocyphellae and/or cyphellae, are found in at least two of the three larger clades (some species of Sticta having pseudocyphellae rather than cyphellae). The strongly supported Lobaria s. lat. clade includes species with and without cyphellae and pseudocyphellae (both on the lower side), which defies the traditional classification using these characters. Based on an expanded ITS phylogeny, Lobariella itself is emended to include 26 species, and a key is presented to all species. The following three genera and 19 species are described as new: Anomalobaria B. Moncada & Lucking gen. nov., Dendriscosticta B. Moncada & Lucking gen. nov., Yoshimuriella B. Moncada & Lucking gen. nov., Lobariella angustata B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. auriculata B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. ecorticata B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. flavomedullosa B. Moncada, Betancourt-Macuase & Lucking sp. nov., L. isidiata B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. nashii B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. olivascens B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. pallidocrenulata B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. papillifera B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. parmelioides B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. peltata B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. pseudocrenulata B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. reticulata B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. rugulosa B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. soredians B. Moncada, Betancourt-Macuase & Lucking sp. nov., L. spathulifera B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. stenroosiae B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., L. subcorallophora B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov., and L. subcrenulata B. Moncada & Lucking sp. nov. Further, the following 15 new combinations are proposed: Anomalobaria anomala (Brodo & Ahti) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Pseudocyphellaria anomala Brodo & Ahti], A. anthraspis (Ach.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Sticta anthraspis Ach.; Pseudocyphellaria anthraspis (Ach.) H. Magn.], Dendriscosticta platyphylla (Trevis.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Lobaria platyphylla Trevis.; Sticta nylanderiana Zahlbr.], D. platyphylloides (Nyl.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Sticta platyphylloides Nyl.], D. oroborealis (Goward & Tonsberg) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Sticta oroborealis Goward & Tonsberg], D. praetextata (Rasanen) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Sticta platyphylla var. praetextata Rasanen; S. praetextata (Rasanen) D. D. Awasthi], D. wrightii (Tuck.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Sticta wrightii Tuck.], Lobariella corallophora (Yoshim.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. et stat. nov. [Lobaria exornata var. corallophora Yoshim.], Yoshimuriella carassensis (Vain.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Lobaria carassensis Vain.], Y. corrosa (Ach.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Sticta dissecta var. corrosa Ach.; Lobaria corrosa (Ach.) Vain.], Y. deplanata (Nyl.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Ricasolia subdissecta f. deplanata Nyl.; Lobaria deplanata (Nyl.) Yoshim.], Y. dissecta (Sw.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Lichen dissectus Sw.; Lobaria dissecta (Sw.) Raeusch], Y. fendleri (Tuck. & Mont.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Sticta fendleri Tuck. & Mont.; Lobaria fendleri (Tuck. & Mont.) Lindau], Y. subcorrosa (Nyl.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Ricasolia subcorrosa Nyl.; Lobaria subcorrosa (Nyl.) Vain.], and Y. subdissecta (Nyl.) B. Moncada & Lucking comb. nov. [Ricasolia subdissecta Nyl.; Lobaria subdissecta (Nyl.) Vain.].

Abstract: 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.