Arthonia dokdoensis sp. nov., a lichenicolous fungus from the subcosmopolitan Arthonia molendoi complex growing on crustose thalli of species of the genus Orientophila (subfamily Xanthorioideae, Teloschistaceae), as well as the lichen species Rufoplaca toktoana sp. nov. (subfamily Caloplacoideae, Teloschistaceae) similar to Rufoplaca kaernefeltiana, both from Dokdo Islands, Republic of Korea, are described, illustrated, and compared with closely related taxa. In the phylogenetic tree of the Arthoniaceae based on 12S mtSSU and RPB2 gene sequences, the phylogenetic position of the A. dokdoensis and the relationship with the A. molendoi group are illustrated, while the position of the newly described R. toktoana is confirmed by phylogenetic tree based on ITS nrDNA data.

A lichen is a complex microorganism comprising fungi and algae. Various lichens are commonly found in cultural heritage and are reportedly related to weathering. Lichens are commonly studied in Europe; however, few reports exist on lichens in Korean cultural heritage. The present study was conducted as part of the Korean National Arboretum's "A study on the Fungus and Lichen." We report the lichen diversity found at the Placenta Chambers of King Sejong's Sons, Seongju. A total of 65 lichens were collected from 19 placenta chambers and one memorial stone. We identified 40 species belonging to 10 genera, 17 families, and 23 orders. Morphological identification revealed that foliose lichens in the form of leaves(24, 36.9%) and crustose lichens in the form of crust(24, 36.9%) were distributed at a higher percentage than that of fruticose lichen in the form of branches(17, 26.2%). Xanthoparmelia coreana(foliose lichen) and Lepraria sp.(crustose lichen) were the most collected lichens and were distributed on 19 chambers. In addition, Clodonia, a fruticose lichen, had the highest species diversity with eight species. The highest species diversity of lichens was identified on the chamber of Prince Kyeyang(16 lichens), whereas the chamber of Prince Geumsung had the lowest species diversity(five lichens). This study will be used as primary data for the study of distribution of lichen diversity in Korean cultural heritage.