A new species of Lecanora s.l. (Lecanoraceae) has been found in several localities on the coasts of the Armorican Massif (Brittany, Normandy, Channel Islands), only on siliceous rocks in the supralittoral zone. It is particularly distinguished by its well-developed thallus reacting C orange in the cortex and containing chlorinated xanthones identified by HPLC-DAD-MS. Placed in the new genus Myriolecis, it is described in this study as Myriolecis massei sp. nov. and is compared to similar maritime species containing chloroxanthones. A key is given to European maritime species of Myriolecis reacting C .

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of 25 biodiversity hotspots with a rich liverwort diversity, especially of Lejeuneaceae. Rectolejeunea truncatilobula C.J.Bastos endemic to Brazil's Atlantic Forest was one member of the subtribe Lepidolejeuneinae of Lejeuneaceae. Recent a field trip to the area permitted us to study living samples of the plant, and we found that the species is characterized by the granular oil bodies in median and basal chlorophyllose cells of the leaf lobe and presence of Allorgella-type marginal denticulations, which are striking characters of the subtribe Echinolejeuneinae. Our phylogenetic analyses based on the nuclear ribosomal ITS region and two chloroplast regions (rbcL, trnL−trnF) also suggest that this species belongs in the subtribe Echinolejeuneinae rather than the subtribe Lepidolejeuneinae. On the basis of the combined molecular phylogenetic and morphological data, a new genus Yanoella is proposed for accommodating the remarkable Brazilian species. Molecular evidence of Stenolejeunea thallophora (Eifrig) R.M.Schust. (type species of Stenolejeunea R.M.Schust.) supports the earlier reduction of Stenolejeunea to synonymy under Lejeunea Lib.

A broad range of morphological variation is known to occur within the lichen-forming fungal genus Acarospora (Acarosporaceae, Ascomycota). In this study, we investigated the relationships of a number of interesting Acarospora collections from western North America using morphological, chemical and molecular sequence data. Our results revealed patterns of apparent convergence of some morphologies traditionally considered a single taxon, coupled with a striking range of morphological disparity within other lineages. Based on the results of this study, a species of lichen-forming fungi, Acarospora tintickiana sp. nov., is formally described as new to science, occurring on hard limestone substrates in the Great Basin of western North America. Furthermore, a number of additional candidate species are recognized and merit additional research before formal taxonomic recognition. This study highlights the importance of implementing an integrative taxonomic approach, incorporating a broad range of data, including molecular sequence data, for diagnosing evolutionarily independent species-level lineages in lichen-forming fungi.

Biological Soil Crusts (BSCs) are important components of sagebrush steppe ecosystems that may be affected by wildfire frequency and severity. As wildfires become more frequent and severe with exotic annual grasses and climate change, it is unknown how BSCs will be affected. We examined the sites of four 12–16 year-old wildfires in Idaho, U.S.A. and adjacent unburned habitats. We found that several lichen and bryophyte species were more frequent and abundant in unburned plots but no species were significantly associated with burned plots. Burned BSC communities were largely a subset of unburned communities. We compared sampling methods using eight 1 m × 1 m subplots per plot to eight 0.25 m × 0.25 m microplots per plot. We observed 80 total taxa in the subplots, as compared with 68 in the microplots. However, even using the smaller sampling area, the difference in community composition between burned and unburned plots was evident. The number of observed taxa was unusually high for BSC studies in the area and may reflect our sampling in varied plant communities in four wildfire sites, unusually well-developed BSCs, larger plot sizes, or greater attention to taxonomic detail. These results add to our understanding of longer-term BSC community recovery following wildfires in the western United States.

Nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region is well-established as universal DNA barcode marker for Fungi. Here we examined the utility of DNA barcoding for delimiting species in lichenized Basidiomycota from Colombia, focusing on the genus Sulzbacheromyces (Lepidostromatales). The topology of the best-scoring maximum likelihood tree based on ITS data shows eight separate, well-supported lineages within Sulzbacheromyces, including the six already known species S. caatingae from Brazil, S. miomboensis De Kesel & Ertz from Africa, and S. bicolor, S. fossicola, S. sinensis, and S. yunnanensis from Asia. In addition, two further, sympatric and semi-cryptic species from the Chocó Biogeographic Region, one of the most diverse regions of the world, are recognized: S. chocoensis Coca, Lücking & Moncada sp. nov and S. tutunendo Coca, Lücking & Moncada sp. nov. Both form separate, strongly supported species-level lineages, but differ morphologically from each other and from S. caatingae in minor details only, which are best assessed with fresh material in the field.

Lecanora caperatica is described based on collections from throughout temperate eastern North America. It is a crustose sorediate species in the L. subfusca group which has pulcaris-type apothecia, and produces atranorin and caperatic acid often with accessory roccellic/angardianic acid. The species is chemically similar to the European L. mughosphagneti, which differs in ecology, thallus morphology and in having albella-type apothecia. The generic placement of L. caperatica, and its affinity to the L. subfusca group, are confirmed by molecular phylogenetic analysis.

Lejeuneaceae is the largest family of liverworts with over 1800 species distributed mostly in moist tropical and subtropical regions. Drepanolejeunea (Spruce) Steph. is the fourth largest genus of this family with over 120 species currently listed in the updated checklist of liverworts and hornworts, however no phylogenetic studies of this genus based on an extensive taxon sampling have been done. Here we for the first time elucidate phylogenetic relationships of Drepanolejeunea by using the nuclear ribosomal ITS region and two chloroplast regions (rbcL, trnL−trnF). Our molecular phylogenetic results reveal that Drepanolejeunea as currently circumscribed is not monophyletic. On the basis of the combined molecular phylogenetic and morphological data, a new genus in the subtribe Lepidolejeuneinae, Soella, is proposed to include the remarkable and rare species, Drepanolejeunea obtusifolia T.Yamag. previously known from Japan. Drepanolejeunea subg. Acantholejeunea R.M.Schust. (≡ Acantholejeunea (R.M.Schust.) R.M.Schust.), one of five subgenera currently accepted in Drepanolejeunea, is suggested to be synonymous with Ceratolejeunea (Spruce) J.B.Jack et Steph. Soella obtusifolia (T.Yamag.) R.L.Zhu et al. comb. nov. and Ceratolejeunea spinistipula (Herzog) R.L.Zhu et al. comb. nov. are proposed. Drepanolejeunea tenera K.I.Goebel is new to the liverwort flora of China. With the description of Soella, the liverworts (Marchantiophyta) so far contain 369 genera, including 73 genera belonging to Lejeuneaceae.

Lichenicolous fungi represent a highly specialized and successful group of organisms that live exclusively on lichens, most commonly as host-specific parasites, but also as broad-spectrum pathogens, saprotrophs or commensals. We present here the most recent update to the classification of lichenicolous fungi in the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota to genus level, arranged phylogenetically according to published classifications. For each genus, all known lichenicolous taxa (obligately lichenicolous taxa, lichenicolous lichens, and facultatively lichenicolous taxa) are listed, along with information about types, synonyms, pertinent literature and whether or not molecular data are available for any of the listed species. The number of accepted lichenicolous fungi is now 2319, with 2000 obligately lichenicolous species, subspecies or varieties, 257 lichenicolous lichens and 62 facultatively lichenicolous taxa. These species are found in 10 different classes of Fungi (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota), 55 orders, 115 families and 397 genera. The 2319 total taxa is an increase from the 1559 total species reported in the last published catalogue in 2003, and a larger number than the approximately 1800 reported in the most recent online checklist ( www.lichenicolous.net) posted in January 2018. Of the total number of taxa, 2219 (96%) are ascomycetes and 100 (4%) are basidiomycetes. Of the 397 genera containing lichenicolous species, c. 50% (198) are entirely lichenicolous. In addition, six families (Abrothallaceae, Adelococcaceae, Cyphobasidiaceae, Obryzaceae, Polycoccaceae, Sarcopyreniaceae) and two orders (Abrothallales, Cyphobasidiales) are entirely lichenicolous. Sequence information is available for lichenicolous species in 128 (32%) of the 397 genera containing lichenicolous species, and in 56 (28%) of the 198 entirely lichenicolous genera. Many species are known from only one host lichen, but it is likely that broader host ecologies will be discovered as new sequence information is obtained from ongoing microbiome studies. Phaeopyxis Rambold & Triebel is considered as a new synonym of Bachmanniomyces D.Hawksw., resulting in five new combinations B. australis (Rambold & Triebel) Diederich & Pino-Bodas (≡ P. australis), B. carniolicus (Arnold) Diederich & Pino-Bodas (≡ Biatora carniolica), B. muscigenae (Alstrup & E.S.Hansen) Diederich & Pino-Bodas (≡ P. muscigenae), B. punctum (A.Massal.) Diederich & Pino-Bodas (≡ Nesolechia punctum) and B. varius (Coppins, Rambold & Triebel) Diederich & Pino-Bodas (≡ P. varia). As a consequence of a phylogenetic analysis including new sequences, Dactylospora Körb. is regarded as a new synonym of Sclerococcum Fr. : Fr., resulting in one new name (S. acarosporicola Ertz & Diederich) and 46 new combinations. Sclerococcaceae Réblová, Unter. & W.Gams is considered as a new synonym of Dactylosporaceae Bellem. & Hafellner. The new Sclerococcum ophthalmizae Coppins is described. Sclerophyton occidentale Herre is lectotypified on the lichenicolous fungus present in the type specimen and becomes a younger synonym of Sclerococcum parasiticum. A replacement name is Arthonia polydactylonis Diederich & Ertz (≡ A. ceracea). Further new combinations are Abrothallus lobariae (Diederich & Etayo) Diederich & Ertz (≡ Phoma lobariae), A. psoromatis (Zhurb. & U. Braun) Diederich & Zhurb. (≡ P. psoromatis), Asteroglobulus pyramidalis (Etayo) Diederich (≡ Cornutispora pyramidalis), Didymocyrtis grumantiana (Zhurb. & Diederich) Zhurb. & Diederich (≡ Phoma grumantiana), Epithamnolia atrolazulina (Etayo) Diederich (≡ Hainesia atrolazulina), Gyalolechia epiplacynthium (Etayo) Diederich (≡ Fulgensia epiplacynthium), Nesolechia doerfeltii (Alstrup & P.Scholz) Diederich (≡ Phacopsis doerfeltii), N. falcispora (Triebel & Rambold) Diederich (≡ P. falcispora), N. oxyspora var. fusca (Triebel & Rambold) Diederich (≡ P. oxyspora var. fusca), Preussia peltigerae (Brackel) Diederich (≡ Sporormiella peltigerae), Scutula curvispora (D.Hawksw. & Miądl.) Diederich (≡ Libertiella curvispora), S. didymospora (D.Hawksw. & Miądl.) Diederich (≡ L. didymospora), Stigmidium haesitans (Nyl.) Diederich (≡ Verrucaria haesitans), and S. parvum (Henssen) Diederich (≡ Pharcidia parvum).