Pezizomycotina: Lecanoromycetes

Abstract

Lecanoromycetes is the class of Ascomycota with the largest number of lichen-forming fungi. Members of this class are important components of most terrestrial ecosystems and occur in various habitats and on different substrates, from tropical to polar regions. Morphological, anatomical, and chemical characters have traditionally been used to classify orders, families, and genera within Lecanoromycetes. In the last two decades, molecular phylogenies have shown that traditional classification systems were not always consistent with the evolutionary history of this fungal class, resulting in changes in the delimitation of orders and families. Here, we revisit the taxonomic value of the main characters traditionally used for classification in light of current molecular phylogenies. The current delimitation of the 14 orders of Lecanoromycetes is also discussed, and recent changes in classification are highlighted.