The phylogeny of Arthoniales (Pezizomycotina) inferred from nucLSU and RPB2 sequences

Abstract

A two-locus phylogenetic study of the order Arthoniales is presented here using the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (nucLSU) and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2). This analysis is the first large phylogeny of this fungal group and includes 476 sequences and 240 specimens representing 132 species sampled from 31 genera (in their traditional circumscription). In addition to the previously recognized families (Arthoniaceae, Chrysothricaceae and Roccellaceae), three additional family-level groups are recovered, one being poorly supported. Therefore, the new family Roccellographaceae is described and the family Opegraphaceae is reinstated. Morphological characters such as growth form, fruit body type, exciple, hypothecium and ascospores colour, ascospores septation pattern, and chemistry are found to be of limited use in delimiting families and genera, which indicates an unusual level of plasticity in the Arthoniales. This high level of homoplasy might indicate that the Arthoniales is an old group with taxa having evolved in parallel for very long times. The genera Arthonia, Arthothelium, Chiodecton, Hubbsia, Ingaderia, Lecanactis, Lecanographa, Llimonaea, Opegrapha, Roccellina, Schismatomma and Sclerophyton were found paraphyletic. In order to make these genera monophyletic, the new genera Dimidiographa, Fulvophyton, Paraingaderia, Paralecanographa, Paraschismatomma and Sparria are newly described and the genera Alyxoria, Dictyographa and Zwackhia reinstated. The new species Lecanactis borbonica and Paraingaderia placodioidea are described.

Journey from the West: Did tropical Graphidaceae (lichenized Ascomycota: Ostropales) evolve from a saxicolous ancestor along the American Pacific coast?

“…Thus, the main lineages with Graphidaceae appear to have evolved around the Early Cretaceous, whereas Redonographa diversifi ed comparatively late in the OligoceneMiocene. ( Ertz and Tehler, 2011 ), has two species present in Baja California and two further species in Chile. The saxicolous Arthothelium spilomatoides is known from Peru and Chile, whereas the related Arthothelium galapagoense is endemic to the Galapagos Islands.…”

Molecular analyses uncover the phylogenetic placement of the lichenized hyphomycetous genusCheiromycina

“…However, molecular data have been generated for a limited number of genera. Based on these data, Tylophoron and Reichlingia have been placed in the order Arthoniales (Ertz et al 2011; Ertz and Tehler 2011), and Dictyocatenulata alba was recovered within Ostropales but leaving the genus as incerta saedis within this order (An et al 2012; Lücking et al 2017). A single specimen of the sporodochiate lichen Chirleja buckii was sequenced, and the taxon was suggested to be a member of Icmadophilaceae (Pertusariales; Lendemer and Hodkinson 2012).…”

Molecular data support placement of Cameronia in Ostropomycetidae (Lecanoromycetes, Ascomycota)

“…Thick-walled asci having a hemiamyloid wall and non-amyloid tholus, anastomosing paraphysoids and muriform ascospores are all characters reminiscent of Arthoniales (Ertz and Tehler 2011;Grube 1998;Tehler 1990), but the perithecioid ascomata, chlorococcoid photobiont, and morphological details of the ascus differ from this order (Kantvilas 2012). Perithecioid ascomata and thick-walled asci in a hamathecium consisting of anastomosing paraphysoids are characteristic for Protothelenellaceae and Thelenellaceae in Ostropomycetidae (Fryday and Coppins 2004;Mayrhofer 1987a,b;Mayrhofer and Poelt 1985;Schmitt et al 2005).…”