Rhizoplaca parilis S. Leavitt, F. Fernandez-Mendoza , Lumbsch, Sohrabi & L. St. Clair

Leavitt, Steven D., Fernandez-Mendoza, Fernando, Perez-Ortega, Sergio, Sohrabi, Mohammad, Divakar, Pradeep K., Lumbsch, H. Thorsten & Clair, Larry L. St., 2013, DNA barcode identification of lichen-forming fungal species in the Rhizoplaca melanophthalma species-complex (Lecanorales, Lecanoraceae), including five new species, MycoKeys 7, pp. 1-22 : 9-10

Rhizoplaca parilis S. Leavitt, F. Fernandez-Mendoza, Lumbsch, Sohrabi & L. St. Clair sp. nov.

Type.

USA, Utah, Sevier County, Thousand Lakes Mountain, north of 'Flat Top’, 38.5111°N, 111.4732°W, on basalt, 2875 m alt., October 1997, Lyndon D. Porter BRY-C55077 (holotype BRY).

Description.

Morphologically similar to Rhizoplaca melanophthalma sensu stricto, but consists of specimens recovered within 'clade IVb’ in Leavitt et al. (2011a), which is supported as a lineage distinct from all other populations according to coalescent-based genetic analysis of multiple genetic loci. Within the Rhizoplaca melanophthalma species-complex, the occurrence of orsellinic, lecanoric, and gyrophoric acids appear to be restricted to Rhizoplaca parilis . However, the occurrence of these compounds varies widely within this species, with the proportional occurrence of each compound ranging between 0.43 - 0.64 ( Leavitt et al. 2011a). The mean genetic distance among ITS haplotypes was estimated to be 0.003 ± 0.004.

Chemistry– Usnic (major) and psoromic (major) acids; usually with constipatic (minor), dehydroconstipatic (minor), dehydroprotocetraric (minor), lecanoric (major), orsellinic (minor), and subpsoromic (minor) acids; occasionally with gyrophoric (trace), 2'-O-demethylsubpsoromic (minor or trace) and 2'-O-demethylpsoromic (minor) acids.

Reference phylogeny.

Leavitt et al. 2011a (fig. 5, 'clade IVb’).

Reference sequences.

GenBank Nos. HM577308 (ITS), HM577082 (IGS), HM577211 (group I intron), HM577442 (MCM 7), and HM576953 (β-tubulin)

Phylogenetic notes: Strong to moderate support as monophyletic lineage in both concatenated multilocus gene tree (ML bootstrap = 83%: posterior probability = 0.93), and with weak statistical support in the ITS gene topology (ML bootstrap = 67%, this study); and strong speciation probability inferred from multiple loci (BPP speciation probability = 1.0). Rhizoplaca parilis belongs to a closely related, and well-supported, monophyletic lineage including Rhizoplaca occultum , Rhizoplaca polymorpha , Rhizoplaca porterii , and the obligatory vagrant species Rhizoplaca haydenii and Rhizoplaca idahoensis .

Ecology and distribution.

This species usually occurs on exposed calcium-poor rock (e.g. basalt, granite, schist), but sometimes on calcium rich sandstone and limestone. Its habitat ranges from pinyon-juniper woodlands to montane coniferous forests and the lower portions of alpine tundra. This taxon iscurrently known from Asia (including Central Asia and China), Europe, and North and South America

Etymology.

The specific epithet is chosen from the Latin parilis, meaning equivalent, like, or similar, in reference to the morphological similarity between the new species and the other species within the Rhizoplaca melanophthalma species-complex.

Specimens examined.

See supplementary file 1.