Book Reviews

M. P. Marcelli & T. Ahti (eds.) 1998. Recollecting Edvard August Vainio. CETESB, Sao Paulo, 188 pp (A5). Price US$30.00 + postage US$ 14.00 = US 44.00. M. P. Marcelli & M. R. D. Seaward (eds.) 1998. Lichenology in Latin America - history, current knowledge and application. CETESB, Sao Paulo, 179 pp (A4). Price US 40.00 + postage US$14.00 = US$ 54.00

New lichens and lichen records from Papua New Guinea : with the description of Crustospathula, a new genus in the Bacidiaceae

Several lichen species are reported from the first time from New Guinea, based on material collected by the author in 1995. The following new taxa are described: Crustospathula cartilaginea gen. et spec. nov., Pseudopyrenula serusiauxii spec. nov. and Trypethelium galligenum spec. nov. Psoroma papuana Aptroot & Diederich nom. nov. is proposed as new name for Psoroma pannarioides Aptroot & Diederich

Annotated checklist of Hongkong lichens

An annotated checklist of the lichens of Hong Kong, based on all available literature reports and specimens, including those recently collected by the authors, is presented. In total, 261 species are reported, of which 176 are new records for Hong Kong, 132 of which are new for China, 43 are new for East Asia, and 27 are new for Asia. The lichen vegetation is mainly tropical, as is shown by the distribution patterns of the identified species: 53 species are cosmopolitan, 40 northern temperate, 122 pantropical, 17 paleotropical and 29 endemic to tropical East Asia. With regard to substrata, 129 species are corticolous, 148 saxicolous, 17 foliicolous and 19 terricolous. Four species are newly described: Anisomeridium conorostratum Aptroot, A. hydei Aptroot, Caloplaca pulicarioides Aptroot and Placidiopsis poronioides Aptroot. The flora is rather poor in species; for example, no Caliciales have been found. In the past, the numbers of species of several groups such as the Graphidaceae, Heterodermia and Xanthoparmelia have been overestimated, whereas few pyrenocarps have been reported. The flora of wet granitic outcrops is surprisingly well developed in Hong Kong. Although not a single Peltula species was reported before, six species were identified, including one that was previously only known from Africa. In addition, several other cyanophilic genera are present, such as Euopsis, Psorotichia, Pyrenopsis and, most unexpectedly, Vestergrenopsis, each with one species. A comparison between old and recent records shows that many Lobarion species are now extinct. The drastic decline of species of the Lobarion vegetation indicates that air pollution and other habitat disturbances, mainly deforestation, to which these species are very sensitive, are seriously threatening the lichen biodiversity of Hong Kong

The lichen flora of the Chagos Archipelago : including a comparison with other island and coastal tropical floras

The 1996 Chagos Expedition provided the first opportunity to study the archipelago’s lichen flora. Seventeen of the 55 islands were ecologically investigated, some in more detail than others, and lists and representative collections of lichens have been assembled for many of them. In all, 67 taxa have been recorded, 52 to specific level. Although the islands have a low biodiversity for cryptogamic plants, as would be expected in terms of their relatively young age, remoteness and small terrestrial surface areas, those taxa that are present are often found in abundance and play significant ecological roles. There is a good correlation between total lichen biodiversity and island size, despite the fact that Cocos nucifera is such an important substratum for cryptogamic plants and its presence on all islands studied provides a consistently high associated species count. Comparisons of lichen floras for ten island and coastal tropical areas show good correlations (based on the Sörensen Coefficient) within the Indian Ocean as would be expected, but poorer correlations exist within and between Pacific Ocean and neotropical floras. Ranked correlations between Chagos and other floras are in the sequence Maldives > Laing Island > Aldabra > Tuamotu > Pitcairn > N.Mariana & Belize > Guadeloupe > Cook. When coefficients are calculated using only the Physciaceae, different correlations and sequences are derived, but the affinities of the Indian Ocean islands remain strong. However, although the lichen flora of Chagos is characteristic for an Indian Ocean, it is dominated by pantropical species

Bryophytes and lichens of Aldabra

Aldabra Atoll, in the Republic of Seychelles, lies 450 km to the north of Madagascar and 650 km to the east of the Tanzanian coast of Africa (9o24’S, 46o20’E). It is one of the largest atolls in the world, with four main islands and numerous islets, totalling 97 km2. The underlying limestone is slightly raised, but is generally less than 8 m in elevation, and varies substantially in texture due to erosion. The atoll has been elevated above sea level for at least 80,000 years. Soils are generally shallow and alkaline (Trudgill 1979). The geology and ecology are outlined in Westoll and Stoddart (1971), Stoddart and Westoll (1979), and Stoddart (1984)

Results of a botanical expedition to Mount Roraima, Guyana : 2., Lichens

Lichen exploration of the Upper Mazaruni District, Guyana yielded 273 species, of which 179 were found for the first time in the Guianas and 13 were as yet undescribed. A list of all taxa encountered is presented, with indications of habitat and distribution in the investigated area as well as first descriptions for the following 7 species: Buellia aptrootii, Byssoloma farkasii, Myriotrema guianense, M. neofrondosum, M. subdactyliferum, Ocellularia astrolucens, and Thelotrema albomaculatum. Mazosia bambusae is recorded for the first time from the Neotropics. The richest areas for lichens appear to be the rocky tablelands with scrub vegetation on top of the lower mountains. The slopes of Mount Roraima are of special interest because they support some montane species which are unlikely to be found elsewhere in the Guianas; otherwise they are less rich in lichens, probably because of the high humidity, which favours bryophyte growth

A preliminary phylogeographic study of Flavopunctelia and Punctelia inferred from rDNA ITS-sequences

A preliminary phylogeny of the genera Flavopunctelia and Punctelia is presented. Genus and species delimitations have been investigated using ITS rDNA-sequencing of populations from different continents. Current genus delimitations of Flavopunctelia, Punctelia and Parmelia are confirmed and the species status of recently resurrected Punctelia ulophylla is confirmed. The status of three cryptic species, Flavopunctelia soredica, Punctelia perreticulata and P. stictica is discussed. Flavopunctelia borrerioides and Punctelia perreticulata are reported from China for the first time.Esitatakse perekondade Flavopunctelia ja Punctelia esialgne fülogeneesi rekonstruktsioon. Perekondade ja liikide eraldamist on uuritud erinevatelt kontinentidelt pärinevate populatsioonide ITS rDNA sekventside alusel. Senine perekondade Flavopunctelia, Punctelia ja Parmelia piiritlemine on leidnud kinnitust, samuti liigi Punctelia ulophylla staatus. Arutletakse kolme krüptilise liigi, Flavopunctelia soredica, Punctelia perreticulata ja P. stictica staatuse üle. Teatatakse liikide Flavopunctelia borrerioides ja Punctelia perreticulata esmasleidudest HiinasFil: Thell, Arne. Lund University; SueciaFil: Herber, B.. Universitat Hamburg; AlemaniaFil: Aptroot, A.. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures; Países BajosFil: Adler, Monica Teresa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Micología y Botánica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Micología y Botánica; ArgentinaFil: Feuerer, T.. Universitat Hamburg; AlemaniaFil: Kärnefelt, Ingvar. Lund University; Sueci

Additions to the Azorean lichen flora.

Ongoing lichenological research in the Azores yielded records of 38 new species for the lichen flora of the Archipelago: Agonimia papillata (O. Eriksson) Diederich & Aptroot, Amandinea lecideina (Mayrh. & Poelt) Scheid. & Mayrh., Arthonia ilicinella Nyl., Arthonia muscigena Th. Fr., Arthonia stellaris Kremp., Bacidia canariensis Erichsen, Buellia dives (Th. Fr.) Th. Fr., Caloplaca canariensis (Follman & Poelt) Breuss, Cliostomum flavidulum Hafellner & Kalb, Collema crispum (Huds.) Weber ex Wigg., Dimelaena radiata (Tuck.) Hale & W. Culb., Lecania hutchinsiae (Nyl.) A.L. Sm., Lecanora cenisia Ach., Lecanora hagenii (Ach.) Ach., Lecanora leprosa Fée, Lecanora orosthea (Ach.) Ach., Lecanora pulicaris (Pers.) Ach., Lecanora strobilina (Spreng.) Kieffer, Leptogium teretiusculum (Flörke) Arnold, Ochrolechia androgyna (Hoffm.) Arnold, Opegrapha calcarea Sm., Opegrapha herbarum Mont., Opegrapha multipuncta Coppins & P. James, Opegrapha niveoatra (Borr.) J.R. Laundon, Opegrapha prosodea Ach., Opegrapha varia Pers., Parmelinopsis minarum (Vainio) Elix & Hale, Pertusaria amarescens Nyl., Pertusaria lactea (L.) Arnold, Phaeographis smithii (Leight.) de Lesd., Phlyctis argena (Spreng.) Flot., Placidium squamulosum (Ach.) Breuss, Pyrrhospora quernea (Dicks.) Körb., Pyxine subcinerea Stirt., Ramalina lusitanica H. Magn., Rinod, Thelidium pyrenophorum (Ach.) Mudd, Verrucaria hydrela Ach. and Waynea adscendens V.J. Rico. The species Agonimia papillata, Caloplaca canariensis, Lecanora leprosa, and Pyxine subcinerea do not occur in continental Europe. The first species is also reported here from La Palma (Canary Islands)

Three new Xanthoria species from South Africa: X. hirsuta, X. inflata and X. doidgeae

Three new Xanthoria species are described from South Africa. Xanthoria hirsuta sp. nov. has hairs on the surface of the thallus and apothecia, best visible in young, growing parts. Dust particles and sand granules stick to this hairy surface, giving the thallus a somewhat dirty appearance. Xanthoria inflata sp. nov. has inflated lobes similar to a Menegazzia. It carries numerous crystals on its medullary hyphae, which are ivory-coloured in young, but intensely orange coloured in old lobes. Xanthoria doidgeae sp. nov. has relatively small lobes with pruinose margins. All three species are fertile, none of them forms symbiotic propagule