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28 May 2020 Two closely related but morphologically disparate new species of Physcia from western North America
Theodore L. Esslinger, Steven D. Leavitt, Bruce McCune
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Abstract

Two new species belonging to the common and widespread lichen genus Physcia are described from western North America. One of these, P. occidentalis, is an obligately saxicolous species that reproduces by fragmentation, primarily through the production of largely terminal blastidia. Only a single very immature apothecium was observed among all collections. The species occurs from British Columbia to California, with outliers in Colorado. The other species, P. rhizinata, is a corticolous, typically fertile species lacking asexual propagules, and has often been confused with P. stellaris. It is presently known only from California. The close evolutionary relationship of these morphologically dissimilar taxa highlights the currently limited understanding of factors that lead to phenotypic divergence in lichen symbioses.

Copyright ©2020 by The American Bryological and Lichenological Society, Inc.
Theodore L. Esslinger, Steven D. Leavitt, and Bruce McCune "Two closely related but morphologically disparate new species of Physcia from western North America," The Bryologist 123(2), 204-214, (28 May 2020). https://doi.org/10.1639/0007-2745-123.2.204
Received: 7 February 2020; Accepted: 24 April 2020; Published: 28 May 2020
KEYWORDS
California
lichen systematics
Physciaceae
phytogeography
western North America
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