Two new species of Lecanora sensu stricto (Lecanoraceae, Ascomycota) from east Africa

Abstract

The new sorediate species Lecanora kenyana from Mount Kenya and L. orientoafricana from the Rift Valley in Kenya are described. L. kenyana has red-brown apothecia with a constricted base, a melacarpella–type amphithecium, pulicaris–type epihymenium, a hyaline hypothecium, and contains usnic acid as major constituent. L. orientoafricana is characterized by having a dark hypothecium, pulicaris-type amphithe- cium, chlarotera-epihymenium, and contains atranorin and gangaleoidin. A phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood and a Bayesian approach based on DNA sequence data of mtSSU and ITS rDNA support that both new species belong to Lecanora sensu stricto and cluster with species containing usnic acid or having a dark hypothecium, respectively.