Tremella rhizocarpicola sp. nov. and other interesting lichenicolous Tremellales and Filobasidiales in the Nordic countries

This is the published version of a paper published in MycoKeys. Citation for the original published paper (version of record): Millanes, A., Diederich, P., Westberg, M., Knutsson, T., Wedin, M. (2014) Abstract New data on the diversity and geographical distribution of lichenicolous Tremellales and Filobasidiales in the Nordic countries is presented. One new species, Tremella rhizocarpicola, is formally described. Tremella pertusariae and T. protoparmeliae are reported as new to the Nordic countries, Syzygospora physciacearum is new to Iceland, Tremella rinodinae is new to Sweden, and T. caloplacae is new to Norway. Nine species are reported as new to a number of Swedish provinces, including Biatoropsis usnearum, Syzygospora bachmannii, S. physciacearum, Tremella caloplacae, T. cetrariicola, T. cladoniae, T. coppinsii, T. diploschistina, and T. hypogymniae

Interesting lichenized and lichenicolous fungi found during the Nordic Lichen Society excursion in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway 2015

In August 2015, the Nordic Lichen Society held its 21st bi-annual meeting and excursion in Steinkjer, Nord- Trøndelag, Norway. During the excursion various habitats, including boreal rainforest, calcareous rocks with pine forest, coastal heath, heavy metal containing rock and montane spruce forest, were investigated. The most interesting findings are recorded herewith. Didymocyrtis pseudeverniae and Unguiculariopsis manriquei are new to Scandinavia, and six species are new to Norway: Absconditella celata, Catillaria aphana, Micarea contexta, Scytinium aquale, Tremella wirthii and Verrucaria sparsiuscula. Notes on a number of red-listed and/or rarely collected species in Norway are also provided

Lichens from the Vadstena Monastery churchyard – the burial place of Eric Acharius

A list of 120 taxa observed at the Vadstena Monastery churchyard includes some rare species and a few lichenicolous fungi. Lecanora semipallida is reported from the province Östergötland [Ostrogothia] for the first time

Acacia blanca " Robinia pseudoacacia L." y acacia negra " Gleditsia triacanthos L.": aspectos tecnológicos relacionados al empleo en productos de madera maciza

Robinia pseudoacacia L. and Gleditsia triacanthos L, are tree species from USA and both was introduced in Europe. In the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, plantations of these species are scattered, whose wood hasn’t been characterized technologically by standardized tests. The objetive of this job was to characterize technologically Black locus and Honey locust woods, both implanted in the province of Buenos Aires for its inclusion in the timber market. The physical and mechanical properties determined were: content humidity, apparent densities, dimensional changes, Janka hardness, static bending, cut parallel to fibers, compression perpendicular and parallel to fibers. Natural durability was estimated. Black locus and Honey locust woods were medium density and medium stability, hard, resistant to the cut and the compression perpendicular to fibers and showed values medium to low in parameters of static bending and compression parallel to fibers, values to take into account when designing structural elements. Black locus was the most resistant to fungal degradation. Both woods can be considered suitable for high-value uses in the construction and furniture industries (interior and exterior).Robinia pseudoacacia L. y Gleditsia triacanthos L, son especies originarias de EEUU e introducidas en Europa. En la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, existen plantaciones dispersas de dichas especies cuyas maderas no han sido caracterizadas tecnológicamente mediante ensayos estandarizados. El objetivo del trabajo fue caracterizar tecnológicamente la madera de las dos especies con vista a su incorporación en el mercado maderero. Las propiedades físicas y mecánicas determinadas han sido: contenido de humedad, densidades aparentes, cambios dimensionales, dureza Janka, flexión estática, corte paralelo a las fibras, compresión perpendicular y paralela a las fibras. Fue estimada la durabilidad natural. Las maderas de acacia blanca y de acacia negra resultaron semipesadas, de estabilidad media, duras, resistentes al corte y a la compresión perpendicular a las fibras y presentaron valores medios a bajos en los parámetros de flexión estática y compresión paralela a las fibras, valores a tener en cuenta para el diseño de elementos estructurales. La acacia blanca resultó la más resistente a la degradación fúngica. Ambas maderas pueden ser consideradas aptas para usos de alto valor en las industrias de la construcción y del mueble (interior y exterior)

Lichenicolous fungi show population subdivision by host species but do not share population history with their hosts

Lichenicolous fungi are a species-rich biological group growing on lichen thalli. Here, we analyze the genetic structure of the lichenicolous basidiomycete Tremella lobariacearum and three host species (Lobaria pulmonaria, L. macaronesica, and L. immixta) in Macaronesia. We used ordination and analysis of molecular variance to investigate the structuring of genetic variation, and a simulation test to investigate whether rDNA haplotypes of T. lobariacearum were significantly associated with host species. To investigate the evolutionary and demographic history of the lichenicolous fungus and its hosts, we used coalescent samplers to generate trees, and Bayesian skyline plots. We found that the hosts were most important in structuring populations of the lichenicolous species. Despite their wide geographic distribution, the same haplotypes of T. lobariacearum consistently associated with a given host species. Our results suggest that the Lobaria hosts create a selective environment for the lichenicolous fungus. Both the pathogen and the host populations exhibited substantial genetic structure. However, evolutionary and demographic histories differed between the parasite and its hosts, as evidenced by different divergence times and tree topologies.Swiss National Foundation (PBBEA-111207, 3100AO-105830) Swedish Research Council (VR 621-2003-3038, VR 621-2006-3760, and VR 621-2009-5372) Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (‘Estancias breves’), Madrid.Pre-print of journal articl

Ecology and Evolution / Comparative analyses of flower scent in Sileneae reveal a contrasting phylogenetic signal between night and day emissions

Flower scents are complex blends of volatile compounds often shaped by selection pressures exerted by mutualistic and antagonistic interaction partners, but also by phylogenetic constraints. So far, little is known about the relative effect of selection and phylogenetic signal on scent patterns, and no study to date analyzed the phylogenetic signal in multivariate semiquantitative scent patterns. We analyzed the phylogenetic signal in qualitative and semi-quantitative patterns of flower scents in 47 Sileneae (Caryophyllaceae) species using phylogenetic principal component analysis (pPCA) and several indices of univariate and multivariate phylogenetic signal. As previous results showed that Sileneae species are visited by diurnal and nocturnal pollinators and flower scents also vary along the day, we compared the phylogenetic signal between night and day. Multivariate pPCA analyses identified compounds that correlate with the phylogeny at both night and day; however, multivariate Bloomberg′s K detected phylogenetic signal in the dataset of night scents, but not of day scents. In multivariate qualitative datasets, phylogenetic signal was neither found for day nor for night scents. In univariate analyses, phylogenetic signal was detected for some compounds both for day and night scents. Overall, we found that the phylogenetic signal is stronger in night compared to day scents, which might be owed to the different guilds of pollinators at day and night. At day, the phylogenetic resemblance of Sileneae scents might be masked by or disappear due to divergent selective pressures exerted by a diverse guild of pollinators on the different species. In contrast, we hypothesize that the nocturnal moth pollinators exert similar selective pressures; thus, the phylogenetic similarity of scent profiles might be conserved. Future studies of scent phylogenetic signal must consider not only the usage of qualitative measures but also semiquantitative analyses.(VLID)214713

The yeast lichenosphere: high diversity of basidiomycetes from the lichens Tephromela atra and Rhizoplaca melanophthalma

Lichens are well-known examples of complex symbiotic associations between organisms from different Kingdoms. Microfungi in particular, establish diverse associations with the hosting lichen thallus, as species-specific parasites or transient co-inhabitants. The whole community of lichen-associated fungi constitute the 'lichen mycobiome' comprising both ascomycetes and basidiomycetes, including filamentous and yeast taxa. Metabarcoding results and microscopy analyses show that in some thalli, basidiomycetes are frequent lichen-associated fungi but still only a few species could be axenically isolated and morphologically characterized. Within a broad project aiming at characterizing the mycobiome diversity by culture-dependent and independent approaches in two lichen species selected as reference models - Rhizoplaca melanophthalma and Tephromela atra, we succeed in isolating and culturing 76 new strains of basidiomycetous yeasts. The lichen thalli were collected in different mountain regions worldwide and at relatively high elevation. The yeast strains were isolated on different growth media and were studied for their morphological and genetic diversity. Nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and ribosomal large subunit (LSU) sequence analyses identified them to belong to ten families within the orders Agaricostilbomycetes, Cystobasidiomycetes, Microbotryomycetes, Tremellomycetes and Ustilaginomycetes. The yeasts here detected showed patterns of host-preference in a few cases and they are potentially related to the ecological conditions

Neogene diversification in the temperate lichen-forming fungal genus <i>Parmelia</i> (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota)

<p>The lichen-forming genus <i>Parmelia</i> Acharius occurs worldwide but its centre of distribution is in the northern hemisphere and it is widespread in boreal-temperate Eurasia and North America. Recent molecular work on <i>Parmelia</i> has identified phylogenetic relationships within two major groups of the genus: <i>P. saxatilis</i> s. lat. and <i>P. sulcata</i> s. lat. However, little is known about the diversification and historical biogeography of these groups. Here we have used a dataset of two genetic markers and 64 samples to estimate phylogenetic relationships within <i>Parmelia.</i> The dated phylogeny provides evidence for major diversification during the Neogene and Pleistocene. These diversification events are probably correlated with climatic changes during these periods. Evidence of gene flow within species between populations from North America and Europe has been found in three species: <i>P. sulcata</i> Taylor, <i>P. saxatilis</i> (L.) Acharius and <i>P. barrenoae</i> Divakar, M.C. Molina & A. Crespo. Cryptic species recently segregated on the basis of molecular differences (<i>P. encryptata</i> A. Crespo, Divakar & M.C. Molina vs. <i>P. sulcata</i> and <i>P. saxatilis</i> vs. <i>P. mayi</i> Divakar, A. Crespo & M.C. Molina) do not share a common ancestor. Moreover, the <i>P. saxatilis</i> complex is remarkably diverse. Two morphotypes of <i>P. saxatilis</i> s. lat. were shown to represent independent monophyletic lineages. Consequently, two species (<i>P. sulymae</i> Goward, Divakar, & M.C. Molina & A. Crespo and <i>P. imbricaria</i> Goward, Divakar, M.C. Molina & A. Crespo) are newly described here.</p