One new genus and two new species of Graphidaceae are described from tropical dry forests of Mexico, based on morphological and molecular data of the mtSSU, nuLSU and ITS markers. The new genus Jocatoa in subfamily Graphidoideae is described to accommodate the species Graphis agminalis (syn.: Medusulina texana), previously known from Colombia and North America. The new genus resembles Diorygma but differs by having simple paraphyses tips that do not form an epithecium. Jocatoa agminalis is similar to Diorygma monophorum but differs by having larger ascospores, hypostictic and stictic acids and by the type of paraphysis tips. In subfamily Redonographoideae, the two new species Gymnographopsis corticicola and Redonographa parvispora are described, representing the first corticolous species in the subfamily. Gymnographopsis corticicola is characterized by the smallest spores in the genus, the presence of norstictic acid, and a rectangular perispore that appears to be a newly recognized character state in fungi. Redonographa parvispora is characterized by warty periphysoids, small ascospores with 3 transverse septa, and norstictic acid. It also frequently develops a rectangular perispore. We present a phylogenetic analysis, based on the markers mtSSU, nuLSU and RPB2, that includes all the genera in the family Graphidaceae, with available sequences, to accommodate the new genus and to validate for the first time the position of Gymnographopsis. Diagnostic anatomical and ecological characters are discussed for Redonographoideae. Gymnographopsis is newly reported to the Northern Hemisphere.

The non-lichenized, monospecific genus Papilionovela Aptroot, originally described from rain forest in Papua New Guinea, is reported here from several locations in Caatinga vegetation in Sergipe, Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis of the nuLSU marker within a three-locus phylogeny, as well as separate analysis of the fungal ITS barcoding marker, place Papilionovela in the Graphidaceae, subfamily Graphidoideae, with strong support. Within that subfamily, the genus clusters within tribe Wirthiotremateae, close to the Acanthothecis peplophora group and Carbacanthographis, albeit without support. We also reanalyzed the phylogenetic placement of two other, non-lichenized fungi previously associated with Graphidaceae, namely Furcaspora eucalypti and Rubikia evansii, and found them to form a separate, early diverging lineage in the family, here formally described as a new subfamily, Rubikioideae. Papilionovela is thus the first non-lichenized, saprobic lineage within the core Graphidaceae (subfamily Graphidoideae), providing a further independent, unequivocal case of delichenization within the order Ostropales.

Lichenicolous species are widely distributed in the Basidiomycota, and many are known to produce sclerotia or bulbils with few additional structures to permit taxonomic placement. The Cantharellales include many of these species and we here describe a new genus and species discovered in Austria that grows over Physcia aipolia and P. stellaris and forms minute dark reddish brown bulbils reminiscent of Ceratobasidium bulbillifaciens but much smaller in size. We obtained sequences of ITS and nuLSU rDNA representing the herbarium specimen of the species, and initial searches in GenBank indicated it was a member of the Cantharellales, with closest relatives in the genus Minimedusa. We inferred its phylogenetic placement in the order using an existing dataset that included all known lichenicolous species, augmented by sequences obtained by BLAST searches in GenBank. Our results indicate that the unknown is not closely related to any described lichenicolous species or to any other described bulbilliferous species in the order. Based on these results, we are now establishing a new genus and species, Bergerella atrofusca, in the Cantharellales family Hydnaceae.

Ulota germana is an epiphytic moss moderately common in oceanic areas of Patagonia (southern South America), one of the regions of the world where Ulota reaches a peak of diversity. It is easily recognized by very long perichaetial leaves, which reach the capsule when wet, an endostome of eight segments and verrucose spores. In Nikolajs Malta's revision of South American Ulota, a species was described under this name with apparently similar long perichaetial leaves and spores but with a 16-segment endostome, an uncommon character in this genus. No further references to this particular combination of traits are found throughout the literature of South American Ulota. In the same work, Malta also published U. germana var. breviseta. During the study of recent Patagonian collections, a moss similar to that described by Malta was repeatedly found, living together with U. germana s.str. To ascertain the name and taxonomic identity of the new specimens and Malta's moss, a detailed morphological comparative study was carried out. Original material of relevant names was analyzed, demonstrating that the gatherings on which those names are based were usually a mixture of several species, thus resulting in nomenclatural confusion. Having established that the plants described by Malta at both specific and varietal ranks are not U. germana, we formally describe them as U. maltiana with a complete description and illustration. Ulota germana s.str. is also illustrated for comparison. The reasons behind Malta's error are discussed. We demonstrate that the previous typification of U. germana was incorrect, and propose a new lectotypification for this species and for U. germana var. breviseta.

A species of Pottiaceae (Bryophyta) from northwestern China, northern India and central Myanmar was evaluated as a remnant of an ancient lineage. Macroevolutionary analysis demonstrated its isolated status against other species in similar, morphologically much-reduced genera of Pleuroweisieae, occasioning the description of a new genus, Eobryum R.H.Zander & Sollman.

Stigomena is a genus of cyanobacteria that is often the photobiont associated with the lichen genus Stereocaulon. To elucidate the evolutionary relationships between Stereocaulon and Stigonema and assess whether there is specificity or selectivity at the ecosystem or species levels, we performed phylogenetic analyses on specimens collected throughout Eastern Canada. We generated ITS sequences from the fungal component of the symbiosis and sequences from the operon rbcL-rbcX and the trnL intron from the cyanobacteria of seventy specimens of Stereocaulon. Our ITS results revealed that at least forty Stereocaulon specimens are in 16 distinct species clades (OTUs) and morphologically defined species tend to be paraphyletic. In addition, two genera of cyanobacteria, Stigonema and Nostoc, were detected among the samples and the former is the most common symbiont associated with Stereocaulon. We discovered that nearly invariable Stigonema sequences (rbcL-rbcX) occur across 2,000 km of sampling from temperate to arctic biomes. The lack of geographic structure or species-level specificity for Stigonema suggest a high co-dispersal capability of the cyanobacteria with the ascomycete and selectivity towards a small number of very similar Stigonema haplotypes across eastern Canada.

Two new species belonging to the common and widespread lichen genus Physcia are described from western North America. One of these, P. occidentalis, is an obligately saxicolous species that reproduces by fragmentation, primarily through the production of largely terminal blastidia. Only a single very immature apothecium was observed among all collections. The species occurs from British Columbia to California, with outliers in Colorado. The other species, P. rhizinata, is a corticolous, typically fertile species lacking asexual propagules, and has often been confused with P. stellaris. It is presently known only from California. The close evolutionary relationship of these morphologically dissimilar taxa highlights the currently limited understanding of factors that lead to phenotypic divergence in lichen symbioses.

Bacidia gigantensis, a green to greenish-brown, sorediate, crustose to microsquamulose lichen is described as new to science. It is corticolous on mature Thuja occidentalis trees throughout Sleeping Giant Provincial Park on the Sibley Peninsula along the north shore of Lake Superior, Ontario. The species is unusual within Bacidia due to the production of asexual propagules and homosekikaic acid. Placement in Bacidia is based on the characters of the sexual reproductive structures (biatorine apothecia with a true exciple, Bacidia-type asci, and sigmoid, acicular, ascospores), ITS sequence data and molecular phylogenetic analyses of mtSSU sequence data. The latter also inferred a relationship to Bacidiopsora, a tropical genus that has been proposed for synonymy with Bacidia and includes other species with similar chemistries.

Caloplaca edwardiana is described as new to science from collections made on calcareous rock outcrops in the southern Appalachian Mountains of eastern North America (Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee). The species appears to be rare and locally endemic, currently only known from five locations. As an endolithic species without anthraquinones, C. edwardiana likely belongs within the Caloplaca subgroup Pyrenodesmia.

Sixty-four species of calicioid lichens and fungi are reported from the state of Minnesota, which is located in the upper Midwest of the United States. Chaenothecopsis jordaniana and C. penningtonensis are new to science, Calicium denigratum is reported for the first time from the United States, and an additional 23 species are reported for the first time from the state. As the first comprehensive calicioid flora from the central part of North America, significant range extensions are also reported for eight species that were previously only known from eastern or western states and provinces. Information on previously published works and locations, community preferences and habitat ecology are provided for each species, as is an identification key to all species.

Pseudocyphellaria holarctica McCune, Lücking & Moncada was recently described as having a North American and Russian Far East distribution, based on specimens collected from eastern Asia, Alaska and Oregon. However, the single sequence representing a collection from Oregon in this study actually was from a specimen collected in Alaska. To clarify the range of this species we obtained ITS sequences for all specimens identified as P. holarctica from Oregon examined in the original study, as well as 23 putative P. hawaiiensis collections from Oregon. Analysis of ITS regions of these specimens indicated that all were assignable to P. hawaiiensis rather than to P. holarctica. No specimens of P. holarctica are known from Oregon, California or Washington.

A taxonomic revision of Hypotrachyna subgenus Parmelinopsis in eastern North America is presented based on molecular phylogenetic analyses of ITS and mtSSU data, extensive field observation and analyses of chemical and morphological data. Each species is described, illustrated with photographs, and the distribution in the region is mapped. An identification key is also presented. Eleven species are recognized: H. afrorevoluta, H. appalachensis, H. britannica, H. cryptochlora, H. horrescens, H. kauffmaniana, H. minarum, H. mcmulliniana, H. revoluta, H. showmanii and H. spumosa. Extensive discussion of prior studies is provided, particularly with respect to the delimitation of H. afrorevoluta and H. revoluta. Hypotrachyna kauffmaniana is described from the central and southern Appalachian Mountains and separated from H. afrorevoluta and H. revoluta by its ascending secondary lobes and pustulose soralia that are primarily confined to the secondary lobes. Hypotrachyna horrescens is shown to correspond to a taxon with narrow lobed, small thalli with ciliate isidia. Hypotrachyna mcmulliniana is described from material collected throughout southeastern North America that is chemically identical to H. horrescens but differs in having larger thalli and sparsely ciliate isidia. Hypotrachyna appalachensis is described to accommodate material previously referred to H. minarum but that differs in the production of 4,5-di-O-methylhiascic acid in high concentrations (vs. absent or present as a trace in H. minarum). Hypotrachyna britannica is reported for the first time from North America.