Find in Library

We employed a molecular phylogenetic approach using five markers (ITS, nuSSU, nuLSU, TEF1-α, and RPB2) to assess potential cryptic speciation in foliicolous members of <i>Strigula</i> s.lat. (<i>Strigulaceae</i>), including the recently segregated genera <i>Phylloporis</i>, <i>Puiggariella</i>, <i>Raciborskiella</i>, <i>Racoplaca</i>, and <i>Serusiauxiella</i>, from tropical areas in Asia, with selected materials from the Neotropics as reference. On the basis of combined molecular and phenotypic datasets, two new species of <i>Racoplaca</i> and 10 new species of <i>Strigula</i> s.str. are described: <i>Racoplaca macrospora</i> sp. nov., <i>R. maculatoides</i> sp. nov., <i>Strigula guangdongensis</i> sp. nov., <i>S. intermedia</i> sp. nov., <i>S. laevis</i> sp. nov., <i>S. microcarpa</i> sp. nov., <i>S. pseudoantillarum</i> sp. nov., <i>S. pseudosubtilissima</i> sp. nov., <i>S. pycnoradians</i> sp. nov., <i>S. sinoconcreta</i> sp. nov., <i>S. stenoloba</i> sp. nov., and <i>S. subtilissimoides</i> sp. nov. In addition, we propose the new combination <i>Phylloporis palmae</i> comb. nov. (≡ =<i>Manaustrum palmae</i>) and we validate the earlier combination <i>Racoplaca melanobapha</i> comb. nov. (≡ <i>Verrucaria melanobapha</i>; <i>Strigula melanobapha</i>). Our data clearly indicate a considerable degree of cryptic diversification in foliicolous representatives of <i>Strigula</i> s.lat., particularly in the presumably widespread taxa <i>Strigula antillarum</i>, <i>S. concreta</i>, <i>S. nitidula</i>, and <i>S. smaragdula</i>. Given that these phylogenetic revisions are thus far limited to few regions, we predict that our findings only represent the proverbial tip of the iceberg in this group of lichenized fungi.