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Taitaia, a novel lichenicolous fungus in tropical montane forests in Kenya (East Africa)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 March 2018

Ave SUIJA ,
Ulla KAASALAINEN ,
Paul Muigai KIRIKA  and
Jouko RIKKINEN
Ave SUIJA
Affiliation:
Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Lai Street 40, EE-51005, Estonia. Email: ave.suija@ut.ee
Ulla KAASALAINEN
Affiliation:
Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 7, FIN-00014Finland East African Herbarium, National Museums of Kenya, Museum Hill Road, P.O. Box 45166, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Paul Muigai KIRIKA
Affiliation:
East African Herbarium, National Museums of Kenya, Museum Hill Road, P.O. Box 45166, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Jouko RIKKINEN
Affiliation:
Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 7, FIN-00014Finland Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, FIN-00014Finland
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Abstract

During lichenological explorations of tropical montane forests in Kenya, a remarkable new lichenicolous fungus was repeatedly found growing on thalli of the epiphytic tripartite cyanolichen Crocodia cf. clathrata. Molecular phylogenetic analyses placed the fungus within Gomphillaceae (Ostropales, Lecanoromycetes), a family mainly of lichen-symbiotic species in the tropics. The anatomical features (unitunicate, non-amyloid asci and simple, septate paraphyses) as well as the hemiangiocarpic ascoma development confirm its taxonomic affinity. DNA sequence data showed the closest relationship was with Gyalidea fritzei, followed by Corticifraga peltigerae. A monotypic genus, Taitaia, is introduced to incorporate a single species, T. aurea. The new fungus is characterized by aggregated ascomata with yellow margins and salmon red discs developing from a single base.

Keywords

AscomycotaCorticifragaGyalidealichen-inhabiting fungiTaita Hillstaxonomy
Type
Articles
Information
The Lichenologist , Volume 50 , Issue 2 , March 2018 , pp. 173 - 184
Copyright
© British Lichen Society, 2018 

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