Abstract Detail

Bryology and Lichenology

Spjut, Richard [1], Simon, Antoine [2], Guissard, Martin [3], Serusiaux, Emmanuel [4].

Phylogenetic relationships and diversity of the lichen genera Niebla, Ramalina and Vermilacinia (Ramalinaceae).

The segregate genera from Ramalina —Niebla, Trichoramalina, Vermilacinia and others— have been controversial based on morphological and chemical characters. Two studies applying molecular inferences in a phylogenetic context addressed the matter: Sérusiaux et al. (2010) and Kistenich et al. (2018). Their main conclusions are: (1) Niebla does not occur outside the Pacific coasts of North America if we exclude N. melanothrix endemic to the coastal desert of SW Africa; (2) the monospecific Cenozosia, endemic to the Atacama desert, is sister to all other genera of fruticose Ramalinaceae, and (3) Trichoramalina (Niebla) melanothrix is sister to Niebla and Vermilacinia (sensu Spjut 1996). In this study, we generated phylogeny trees from a 6-loci datamatrix based on extensive material assembled in 2016 from the Baja California peninsula and Namibia, and found: a- Both Niebla and Vermilacinia are strongly supported as two different genera; they form a strongly supported clade sister to T. melanothrix b- Within Vermilacinia, all sampled saxicolous species recognized by Spjut (1996) are supported, and four new species are recognized. The corticolous species are more diverse than expected and form a strongly supported clade within a saxicolous clade, but are not entirely resolved. c- The internal topology of Niebla is divided into strongly supported clades, all supported by chemistry: divaricatic ac. for four clades, sekikaic ac. (+/- divaricatic ac.) and β-depsidones for two others; the species diversity is unresolved for several morphotypes, and the hypothesis that most species have a narrow geographical distribution area cannot be ruled out. d- All accessions of Cliostomum are resolved at the base of Ramalina but do not form a supported group. e- The phylogeographical scheme is similar to that of the Graphidaceae (Lücking et al. 2013); the fruticose Ramalinaceae have a widespread Ramalina clade, and smaller clades restricted to coastal deserts, Vermilacinia along the Pacific coast except V. zebrina also in Namibia, Cenozosia in Atacama, and T. melanothrix in SW Africa. Although more data are still to be assembled, we suspect that the Atacama desert is the cradle of the clade of fruticose Ramalinaceae.

1 - World Botanical Associates, P. O. Box 81145, Bakersfield, CA, 93380-1145, USA
2 - Université De Liège, Biologie, Ecologie Et Evolution, Evolution And Conservation Biology, InBIOS Research Center, University Of Liège, Quartier Vallée 1, Chemin De La Vallée 4, Liège, B-4000, Belgium
3 - University of Liège, Evolution And Conservation Biology, Quartier Vallée 1, Chemin De La Vallée 4, Liège, B-4000,, Belgium
4 - University Of Liege, Belgium, Biology, Ecology And Evolution, Botanical Institute B22, Quartier Vallée 1, Chemin De La Vallée 4, Liege, B-4000, Belgium

Keywords:
Lichens
phylogeny
Ramalinaceae
Niebla
Ramalina
Trichoramalina
Vermilacinia.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: LICH1, Lichenology
Location: San Pedro 2/Starr Pass
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2019
Time: 2:30 PM
Number: LICH1005
Abstract ID:266
Candidate for Awards:None