Abstract Detail

Bryological and Lichenological Section/ABLS

Medeiros, Ian [1], Lucking, Robert [2], Lumbsch, Thorsten [3].

New Species of Thelotremoid Graphidaceae in Hawaii: Insights into Lichen Endemism on a Remote Archipelago.

Ranking among the most remote places on Earth, the archipelago of Hawaii can be considered one of the true laboratories of evolution. Some of the most striking plant radiations are known from these islands, including the lobeliads (Campanulaceae) and the silversword alliance (Asteraceae); due to these and other endemic species, the level of endemism in Hawaii reaches 80% for native vascular plants. In contrast, lichenized fungi in Hawaii have been believed to comprise mostly widespread species: In the most recent lichen checklist for the archipelago, less than 30% are considered endemic. However, recent work on the lichen genus Pseudocyphellaria s. lat. (Lobariaceae) has suggested that these figures are incorrect and that endemism and species richness in Hawaiian lichenized fungi may be much higher than were previously believed. In this poster, we present our work on the lichen family Graphidaceae in Hawaii. Graphidaceae is the largest family of crustose lichen fungi, with about 2,500 species mostly restricted to the tropics and subtropics. Of 14 species of thelotremoid Graphidaceae collected on the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Kaua‘i, eight are new to science. These species are from the genera Clandestinotrema Rivas Plata, Lücking & Lumbsch (two total species, two new), Fibrillithecis Frisch (one species, none new), Leucodecton A. Massal. (one species, one new), Ocellularia G. Mey. (four total species, four new), and Thelotrema Ach. (six total species, one new). Many of the new species were collected from a single area of largely undisturbed forest on Kaua‘i, likely reflecting the importance of ecological continuity to the diversity of thelotremoid Graphidaceae. A molecular analysis found no pattern of radiation among the new (and presumed endemic) species of Ocellularia, indicating that the endemic lichen biota in this genus, at least, is the result of multiple colonization events.

1 - College Of The Atlantic, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
2 - Field Museum Of Natural History, Department Of Botany, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605-2496, USA
3 - Field Museum Of Natural History, Science and Education, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605-2496, USA

Keywords:
Graphidaceae
lichens
molecular phylogeny
Hawaii
islands.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PBR013
Abstract ID:1304
Candidate for Awards:None