Pseudolepraria, a new leprose genus revealed in Ramalinaceae (Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes, Lecanorales) to accommodate Lepraria stephaniana

Abstract

The new genus Pseudolepraria Kukwa, Jabłońska, Kosecka & Guzow-Krzemińska is introduced to accommodate Lepraria stephaniana Elix, Flakus & Kukwa. Phylogenetic analyses of nucITS, nucLSU, mtSSU and RPB2 markers recovered the new genus in the family Ramalinaceae with strong support. The genus is characterised by its thick, unstratified thallus composed entirely of soredia-like granules, the presence of 4-O-methylleprolomin, salazinic acid, zeorin and unknown terpenoid, and its phylogenetic position. The new combination, P. stephaniana (Elix, Flakus & Kukwa) Kukwa, Jabłońska, Kosecka & Guzow-Krzemińska, is proposed.

Leprarioid lichens and associated lichenicolous fungi from the Commander Islands (Kamchatka Territory, Russia) including a new species Lepraria tiinae

“…(Chrysothrix Mont. ), and the order Verrucariales incertae sedis (Botryolepraria Canals et al) (Lendemer & Hodkinson, 2013;Wijayawardene et al, 2022;Kukwa et al, 2023).…”

“…The genus Lepraria Ach. comprises approximately 75 species (see Wijayawardene et al, 2022;Kukwa, 2023) and includes leprose lichens, as well as some fruticose species formerly placed in the genus Leprocaulon Nyl. (Lendemer & Hodkinson, 2013).…”

“…Despite intensive investigations in the last decades (see Saag et al, 2009;Joshi et al, 2010;Lendemer, 2010Lendemer, , 2011Lendemer, , 2013aLendemer & Hodkinson, 2013;Tsurykau et al, 2016;Orange, 2020;Barcenas-Peña et al, 2021;Kukwa at al., 2023), the diversity, distribution, and ecological features of leprarioid lichens are still insufficiently known. One of the understudied territories in this respect is the Aleutian Arc.…”