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.