Reallocation of foliicolous species of the genus Strigula into six genera (lichenized Ascomycota, Dothideomycetes, Strigulaceae)

• Published in: Fungal diversity Vol. 102; no. 1; pp. 257 - 291
• Main Authors: Jiang, Shu-Hua, Lücking, Robert, Xavier-Leite, Amanda Barreto, Cáceres, Marcela E. S., Aptroot, André, Portilla, Carlos Viñas, Wei, Jiang-Chun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-05-2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Appendages; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Diagnostic systems; Flagellata; Life Sciences; Medical Microbiology; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; Mycology; New combinations; New genera; New species; Phenotypes; Phylogeny; Plant Physiology; Taxonomic revision; Thallus; Topology; Epiphyllous lichens; Generic classification; Higher taxa; Macroconidial appendages; Surface fixation
• ISSN: 1560-2745; 1878-9129
• DOI: 10.1007/s13225-020-00445-7

Strigula
sensu lato has been previously defined based on phenotype characters as a rather broad genus including tropical to temperate species growing on a wide array of substrata. In this study, based on a multilocus phylogenetic approach, we show that foliicolous species form six well-delimited clades that correlate with diagnostic phenotype features, including thallus morphology, carbonization of the involucrellum and excipulum, ascospore dimensions, and type of macroconidia. Given the topology, with five of the six clades emerging on long stem branches, and the strong phenotypical differentiation between the clades, we recognize these at the genus level, making mostly use of previously established genus names. Four genera, namely
Phylloporis
,
Puiggariella
,
Raciborskiella
, and
Racoplaca
, are resurrected for the
S. phyllogena
,
S. nemathora
,
S. janeirensis
, and
S. subtilissima
groups, respectively, whereas one new genus,
Serusiauxiella
gen. nov., is introduced for a novel lineage with peculiar macroconidia. The only sequenced non-foliicolous species,
S. jamesii
, is not closely related to these six foliicolous lineages but clusters with
Flavobathelium
and
Phyllobathelium
, revealing it as an additional undescribed genus-level lineage being treated elsewhere. Within the new genus
Serusiauxiella
, three new species are described:
Serusiauxiella filifera
sp. nov.,
S. flagellata
sp. nov., and
S. sinensis
sp. nov. In addition, ten new combinations are proposed:
Phylloporis austropunctata
comb. nov.,
P. radiata
comb. nov.,
P. vulgaris
comb. nov.,
Puiggariella confluens
comb. et stat. nov.,
P. nemathora
comb. nov.,
P. nigrocincta
comb. nov.,
Racoplaca maculata
comb. nov.,
R. melanobapha
comb. nov.,
R. transversoundulata
, and
R. tremens
comb. nov. We also report on a peculiar, previously unrecognized growth behaviour of the macroconidial appendages in
Strigula
s.lat.