Message - 7th IAL Symposium

Lichen: from genome to ecosystem in a changing world
3A-P
(3A-P5) Submission ID: IAL0057-00009
A PHYLOGENETIC STUDY OF THE ASPICILIA INTERMUTANS COMPLEX
(MEGASPORACEAE)
Sohrabi M. 1 , Sipman H. J. 2 , Roux C. 3 , Nordin A. 4
1 Botanical Museum, Department of Mycology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
2 Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Freie Universität, Berlin, Berlin-Dahlem, Germany
3 Fr - 84120, Chemin des Vignes-Vieilles, Marseille, France
4 Museum of Evolution, Botany, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
The genus Aspicilia A. Massal. was recently redefined and distinguished from the closely related genera
Circinaria, Lobothallia, Megaspora and Sagedia. Aspicilia s.str. (sensu Nordin et al. 2010) is defined by a set
of morphological characters such as exclusively crustose, sometimes radiating thallus, 8-spored asci, ellipsoid
to rarely globose spores, sized 10–30 x 8–20 µm. The conidia length is rather variable (11–40 µm). Aspicilin is
absent and substictic acid a unique substance in the genus, though present only in few species. Following the
new generic circumscription the taxonomic position of many species in Aspicilia has to be confirmed. The aim
of our study is to examine the Aspicilia intermutans complex, basing on extensive sampling in a limited area. 18
Heteromorphic specimens from two Greek islands were investigated to get an impression of the variation within
populations, and compared with specimens from NW Iran and southern France. The analysis uses the nuITS
molecular marker, chemistry and several morphological characters. A phylogenetic analysis was performed using
the parsimony method (program TNT). Our results indicate that some morphological characters traditionally
used to circumscribe Aspicilia species such as chemistry and ascomata and conidiomata structure led to the
formation of non-monophyletic groups. A minor part of the specimens previously recognized as Aspicilia intermutans
were found to be distributed across the Aspicilia s.l. tree and seem to represent taxonomically distinct
entities, most likely including undescribed species.
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