Three species of Graphis (Graphidaceae) are described from Mexico from two research stations of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM): Chamela Biological Station in the Cuixmala-Chamela Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco, and Los Tuxtlas Tropical Biological Station in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Veracruz. The new species Graphis bungartzii Barcenas-Peña, Lücking, Herrera-Campos & R. Miranda is characterized by erumpent lirellae with a lateral thalline margin, striate labia and laterally carbonized exciple, transversely septate ascospores, and norstictic and connorstictic acids. Graphis chamelensis Barcenas-Peña & Lücking has prominent lirellae with a basal to lateral thalline margin, entire labia and completely carbonized exciple, transversely septate ascospores, and norstictic acid. Finally, Graphis rosae-emiliae Barcenas-Peña & Lücking is characterized by erumpent lirellae with lateral thalline margin, striate labia and completely carbonized exciple, transversely septate ascospores, and no substances detected by TLC. We present updates to the world key to Graphis for 41 newly described or reinstated species since the world key was published in 2009. The following new combination is proposed: Pallidogramme parvicarpum (B. O. Sharma & Khadilkar) Lücking comb. nov., based on Graphis parvicarpa B. O. Sharma & Khadilkar.
Arid soil habitats are challenging for sedentary and slow-growing lichens because the integrity of the substrate can easily be disturbed by natural forces, e.g., wind and flood. Yet, adaptation into such habitat types occurred multiple times in lichens that may be associated with specific morphological and ecological adaptations. We studied the genetic and chemical diversity of the lichen-forming fungal genus Xanthoparmelia in Western Australia, where it is abundant in both arid and temperate ecoregions occurring on both soil and rock substrates. We found frequent evolutionary transitions among substrate types and between arid and temperate habitats. However, specific chemical phenotypes were not associated with different habitat and substrate types, and the level of phenotypic (the composition of secondary metabolites) divergence was not correlated with the level of genetic divergence among taxa. The study closes by discussing the importance of arid soil habitats for evolutionary diversification in the hyperdiverse genus Xanthoparmelia.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.