Rhizoplaca polymorpha 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 : 10-11

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

Type.

USA, Idaho, Owyhee County, 43.3202°N, 116.9795°W, 1291 m alt., 04 July 2008, S. D. Leavitt, H. C. Leavitt & J.H. Leavitt BRY-C55093 (holotype BRY).

Description.

Rhizoplaca polymorpha consists of specimens recovered within 'clade IVc’ 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. This species is morphologically quite variable. While some individuals are morphologically similar to Rhizoplaca melanophthalma sensu stricto, vagrant forms partly embedded in badland soils in western Idaho also belong within this species. The mean genetic distance among ITS haplotypes was estimated to be 0.0 ± 0.

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

Reference phylogeny.

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

Reference sequences.

GenBank Nos. HM577324 (ITS), HM577097 (IGS), HM577227 (group I intron), HM577458 (MCM 7), and HM576968 (β-tubulin).

Phylogenetic notes: Strongly supported as monophyletic lineage in both concatenated multilocus gene tree (ML bootstrap = 82%: posterior probability = 1.0), and weak statistical support in the ITS gene topology (ML bootstrap = 66%, this study); and strong speciation probability inferred from multiple loci (BPP speciation probability ≥ 0.97). Rhizoplaca polymorpha belongs to a closely related, and well-supported, monophyletic lineage including Rhizoplaca occulta , Rhizoplaca parilis , Rhizoplaca porterii , and the obligatory vagrant species Rhizoplaca haydenii and Rhizoplaca idahoensis .

Ecology and distribution.

Currently only known from collections in western North America. Its habitat includes pinyon-juniper woodlands and montane coniferous forests, but unattached forms are also known from the McBride Creek Badlands in Western Idaho.

Etymology.

The specific epithet was selected based on the morphologically polymorphic forms within this species, including both umbilicate and vagrant forms.

Specimens examined.

See supplementary file 1.