From one to six: unrecognized species diversity in the genus Acantholichen (lichenized Basidiomycota: Hygrophoraceae).

Mycologia, 2016/1-2016/2;108(1):38-55.

Dal-Forno M[1], Lücking R[2], Bungartz F[3], Yánez-Ayabaca A[4], Marcelli MP[5], Spielmann AA[6], Coca LF[7], Chaves JL[8], Aptroot A[9], Sipman HJ[10], Sikaroodi M[11], Gillevet P[11], Lawrey JD[12]

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PMID: 26577612DOI: 10.3852/15-060

Impact factor: 2.958

Abstract
We present a taxonomic revision of the lichenized basidiomycete genus Acantholichen, species of which produce a characteristic blue-gray, microsquamulose thallus with spiny apical hyphal cells known as acanthohyphidia. Since its discovery, the genus was thought to be monospecific, only including the generic type, A. pannarioides. However, a detailed morphological and anatomical study of recently collected specimens from the Galápagos, Costa Rica, Brazil and Colombia, combined with a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) region and 28S of the nuc rDNA and RPB2 sequences, revealed a much more diverse and widespread species assemblage. Based on the results of these analyses, we describe five new species in the genus: A. albomarginatus, A. campestris, A. galapagoensis, A. sorediatus and A. variabilis. We also provide an identification key to all species, anatomical and morphological descriptions, photographs and a table comparing main characters of each species.

Keywords: Basidiolichens; lichenized fungi; montane forest; phylogeny; taxonomy; tropical diversity

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