Two New Species of Placolecis (Lichenized Ascomycota) from China

Two new species of the lichen genus Placolecis are discovered in China, namely P. kunmingensis An. C. Yin & Li S. Wang and P. sublaevis An. C. Yin & Li S. Wang. The new combination P. loekoesiana (S.Y. Kondr., Farkas, J.J. Woo & Hur) An. C. Yin is proposed. Placolecis kunmingensis is characterized by having simple, spherical or ellipsoid, hyaline spores, and pear-shaped pycnidia; while P. sublaevis can be distinguished by its thallus forming larger aggregations with slightly flattened lobes at the thallus margin, and urn-shaped pycnidia. Descriptions, a phylogenetic tree and a key are provided for all the known Placolecis species in China.

Sulzbacheromyces sinensis, an Unexpected Basidiolichen, was Newly Discovered from Korean Peninsula and Philippines, with a Phylogenetic Reconstruction of Genus Sulzbacheromyces

Most of lichens are formed by Ascomycota, less than 1% are lichenized Basidiomycota. The flora investigation of lichenized Ascomycota of South Korea has been well studied in the past three decades; however, prior to this study, none of basidiolichens was discovered. During the recent excursion, an unexpected clavarioid basidiolichen, Sulzbacheromyces sinensis was collected. Morphology and ecology has been recorded in detail. DNA was extracted, and ITS, 18S, 28S nuclear rDNA were generated. In order to further confirm the systematic position of the Korean specimens, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analysis including all the species of the order Lepidostromatales were conducted based on the ITS. As a result, the phylogenetic tree of the order Lepidostromatales was reconstructed, which differed from the previous studies. The inferred phylogenetic tree showed that species of Sulzbacheromyces in three different continents (Asia, South Africa and South America) were separated into three clades with support. In this study, the species worldwide distribution map of Lepidostromatales was illustrated, and S. sinensis had a widest distribution range (paleotropical extend to the Sino-Japanese) than other species (paleotropical or neotropical). Prior to this study, the range of distribution, southernmost and northernmost points and the fruiting time of S. sinensis were recorded, and the genus Sulzbacheromyces was firstly reported from Korean peninsula and Philippines.

A Note on the Lichen Genus Ramalina (Ramalinaceae, Ascomycota) in the Hengduan Mountains in China

On the basis of extensive field investigation and a series of herbarium specimen identifications, we present and discuss the descriptions and distribution of 22 species of Ramalina found in the Hengduan Mountains of southwestern China. In this revisionary study, representatives of the Ramalina genus, including R. americana, R. confirmata, R. dendriscoides, R. obtusata, R. pacifica, R. pentecostii, R. peruviana, R. shinanoana, and R. subcomplanata are found for the first time in this area. In addition, R. holstii is reported for the first time China. Finally, a newly described species identified as Ramalina hengduanshanensis S. O. Oh & L. S. Wang is reported. It is characterized as growing from a narrow holdfast, solid, sparsely or richly and irregularly dichotomously branched, palmate and flattened lobes with distinctly dorsiventral appearance, surface rugose to reticulate, surface rugosely cracked, dense chondroid tissue, helmet shaped soralia at the tip. The species grows on rock and tree at the highest elevations in this area. Although very few lichen species belonging to the genus Ramalina have been collected above 4,000 m, this new species is found at this elevation. We present detailed morphological, anatomical, and chemical descriptions of this species along with molecular phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer rDNA sequences.

Antioxidative Activity of Lichen Thamnolia vermicularis in vitro

This study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant activities of methanol extract of Thamnolia vermicularis. The antioxidant activity, reducing power, superoxide anion radical scavenging and free radical scavenging activities were studied. The antioxidant activity of the extract correlated with its concentration (0.2~2 mg/ml) in the reaction mixtures containing linoleic acid. Upto 67% of lipid peroxidation was inhibited by 2 mg/ml of the lichen extract. The extract showed strong free radical scavenging activity similar to that of BHA (positive control) in a manner of concentration dependent. The lichen extract also showed moderate effects on superoxide anoin scavenging activity and reducing power, which was not so effective as that of Quercetin and BHA used as positive controls. This study suggests that T. vermicularis lichen can be used as a novel source of natural antioxidant.

Two Species of Bryoria (Lichenized Ascomycota, Parmeliaceae) from the Sino-Himalayas

We performed a taxonomic study on two species of the genus Bryoria from the Sino-Himalayas, SW-China. B. nadvornikiana is new to China and B. furcellata is new to Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in the Sino-Himalayas. Morphology, habitat, distributions and chemistry of the two species are discussed.