Damien Ertz

Meise Botanic Garden · Bryophytes-Thallophytes (BT)

The name Huea, used for a lichen genus which hosts the two common Antarctic species H. cerussata and H. grisea (= H. coralligera), was formally recommended for rejection by the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi. Based on molecular data, we transfer these two species to the genus Hueidea. Hueidea was originally described in the family Fuscideaceae fo...

The foliicolous lichen Gallaicolichen pacificus exhibits unique goniocystangia-like structures named peltidiangia and peltidia. Its taxonomic classification within the Ascomycota has been unclear due to the absence of ascomata and lack of molecular data. Here we clarify the phylogenetic affinities of Gallaicolichen pacificus by analyzing mitochondr...

An unknown species of Roccellaceae Chevall. was collected in 2022 and 2023 on the bark of trunks in a rainforest in Basse-Terre island (Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles). Phylogenetic analyses using mtSSU, nuLSU and RPB2 sequences reveal the placement of the species in the genus Mazosia A.Massal. (Roccellaceae). The lichen is unusual for the genus by be...

A lichenicolous fungus forming large black, vertically elongate, campylidia-like conidiomata on the thallus of Ochrolechia was recently collected in Austria, Mexico and the USA. The conidia are so remarkable in being multiappendiculate that initially no existing fungal genera appeared to be suitable for its description. Nevertheless, molecular phyl...

Porina is a widely distributed, species-rich genus of crustose, lichen-forming fungi, some with thalline outgrowths that have been recognized as isidia. We studied three taxa with thalli consisting chiefly of ascending isidioid structures occurring on trunks and branches of Taxodium in southwestern Florida, and provide details of their structure wi...

Enterographa ducouretiana is described as new to science from New Caledonia. It is characterized by a foliicolous habit, ascomata immersed in a pseudostroma, a dark purple hypothecium, and (3–)5-septate ascospores of (16–)20.5(–24) × (2.5–)2.9(–3.5) µm with a distinct gelatinous sheath of 1.5(–2) μm.

Three new species of Arthoniales are described from Cape Verde: Ingaderia dendritica , with ascomata formed of richly branched-dendroid lirellae and containing erythrin; Sparria caboverdensis , with small stroma-like ascomata and ascospores with 3–7 transverse septa; and Syncesia miesii , with an I− thallus, a tomentose hymenial disc, and a chemist...

Altogether 322 taxa of lichens and lichenicolous fungi are reported from Ecuador of which many are probably new records for the country. These include five species which are described as new to science: Bacidia andina, Bacidina pulverula, Distopyrenis epidiorygma, Pertusaria lucidotetra and P. pseudoparnassia . From the separately treated genera Le...

Résumé : Description de la nouvelle espèce Corticifraga ramalinae P. Pinault, Ertz et Cl. Roux sp. nov., proche de C. peltigerae, dont elle diffère par son parasitisme sur le thalle (rarement les apothécies) de Ramalina fraxinea où elle n’induit pas de galles mais qu’elle décolore, par ses spores à (0)3 cloisons, un peu plus longues et moins larges...

Mycocaliciales comprise non-lichenized either saprotrophic or lichenicolous fungi which occur in temperate and tropical regions. The mazaediate, saprotrophic and monospecific genus, Pyrgidium, is currently assigned to this order, yet the phylogenetic placement of the genus has remained uncertain due to the absence of molecular data. In order to inv...

Sclerococcum is a species rich lichenicolous genus in Ascomycota. However, many species of Sclerococcum have been described based only on morphology. This study provides sequences for the large-subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and mitochondrial small-subunit ribosomal RNA (mtSSU) for the first time for Sclerococcum sim...

Trentepohliales are a group of both free‐living and lichenized algae, with most diversity occurring in tropical regions. Recent studies showed that the abundance of lichens with a trentepohlioid photobiont has been increasing in temperate habitats, probably because of global warming, which makes them an interesting study case. A detailed molecular...

Background and aims – Despite the publication of a recent checklist for Mauritius, a small archipelago in the south-western Indian Ocean, our knowledge of the lichen flora of this region remains incomplete. The present contribution is part of an ongoing study of lichen diversity of the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues. It aims to unravel the dive...

This paper provides an updated classification of the Kingdom Fungi (including fossil fungi) and fungus-like taxa. Five-hundred and twenty-three (535) notes are provided for newly introduced taxa and for changes that have been made since the previous outline. In the discussion, the latest taxonomic changes in Basidiomycota are provided and the class...

Résumé : Description de la nouvelle espèce Stictis maggiana Cl. Roux et Ertz sp. nov., caractérisée par son thalle épiphléode à Trentepohlia, par ses apothécies urcéolées de 0,2 – 1,1 mm de diamètre, à excipulum latéral, incolore, formé de trois couches dont la moyenne est remplie de gros cristaux d’oxalate de calcium et la couche la plus interne c...

Sequencing of the type species of Arthopyrenia places Arthopyreniaceae as a synonym of Trypetheliaceae. Mycosphere 12(1), 993-1011, Doi 10.5943/mycosphere/X/X/X Abstract Arthopyrenia sensu lato comprises lichenicolous, lichenized and non-lichenized saprotrophic species; however, the lifestyle of several taxa as either lichenized or saprotrophic rem...

Mendogia belongs to Dothideomycetes and its members are epiphytic on living bamboo culms or palms and distributed in tropical regions. Currently, the genus comprises seven species. Another collection resembling Mendogia was collected from the leaves of Fagales sp. in Thailand. Morphological characteristics and multilocus phylogenetic analyses, usin...

Lichen can survive to strong UV radiations specially when exposed on rocks and they undergo desiccation / rehydration cycles which induce free radicals. In Subantarctic area, lichens are widespread and particularly exposed to these abiotic stresses. In defense and regulation, it’s supposed that soecialized metabolites have a critical role to protec...

Two new species of lichenicolous Opegrapha are described from New Brunswick, Canada. Opegrapha inconspicua was found once on a rock bluff above a river on the thallus of Verrucaria aethiobola. It is characterized by punctiform, rounded, black ascomata 75–170 µm diam., an excipulum dark brown to black only in the upper part and (1–)2(–3)-septate asc...

Ostropales sensu lato is a large group comprising both lichenized and non-lichenized fungi, with several lineages expressing optional lichenization where individuals of the same fungal species exhibit either saprotrophic or lichenized lifestyles depending on the substrate (bark or wood). Greatly variable phenotypic characteristics and large-scale p...

The new species Alyxoria sierramadrensis is described from Mexico where it inhabits limestone rocks. The lichen developing from this fungus is characterized by a placodioid to subfoliose thallus with a white pruinose surface; rounded to shortly elongated ascomata with a black epruinose margin and a widely exposed, white pruinose hymenial disc; hyal...

The genus Thelopsis was classified in the family Stictidaceae but its systematic position has never been investigated by molecular methods. In order to determine its family placement and to test its monophyly, fungal DNA of recent collections of Thelopsis specimens was sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses using nuLSU, RPB 2 and mtSSU sequences reveal t...

Numerous new taxa and classifications of Dothideomycetes have been published following the last monograph of families of Dothideomycetes in 2013. A recent publication by Honsanan et al. in 2020 expanded information of families in Dothideomycetidae and Pleosporomycetidae with modern classifications. In this paper, we provide a refined updated docume...

Résumé : Description de deux champignons lichénicoles sur Cladonia, Capronia diederichiana P. Pinault et Cl. Roux sp. nov., récolté sur deux espèces de Cladonia, et Knufia peltigerae, ordinairement sur Peltigera, mais se rencontrant également sur Cladonia (gr. pyxidata) et parfois même sur d’autres lichens (Enchylium tenax, Scytinium lichenoides) e...

The foliicolous lichen-forming fungus Opegrapha vegae was collected on the French island of Mayotte (Comoros archipelago). Phylogenetic analyses using nuLSU and RPB2 sequences place this species in the genus Fouragea (Opegraphaceae). Opegrapha alba, O. heliabravoa, O. tuxtlensis and O. vegae are newly combined in the genus Fouragea because of their...

Lecanographa farinosa was considered to be a lichen inhabiting coastal rocks of the Mediterranean region and to possess psoromic and conpsoromic acids as major secondary metabolites. A revision of its type specimen from Germany proved that the species has been misunderstood. In this paper, L. farinosa is shown to have a thallus containing confluent...

Historical and recent material of Bacidia akompsa (basionym: Biatora akompsa) was studied to determine the taxonomic position of this crustose lichen, prompted by the appearance of the provisional name ''Lecanactis akompsa (Tuck.) ined.'' in multiple online lichen databases and checklists. Initial morphological assessment of verified material confi...

The website http://outlineoffungi.org, is launched to provide a continuous up-to-date classification of the kingdom Fungi (including fossil fungi) and fungus-like taxa. This is based on 1516 recent publications and on the outline of fungi and fungus-like taxa published recently (Mycosphere 11, 1060-1456, Doi: 10.5943/mycosphere/11/1/8). The website...

Revisions of British and Irish Lichens, Volume 1, Arthoniales: Arthoniaceae. Revisions of British and Irish Lichens is a free-to-access serial publication under the auspices of the British Lichen Society, that charts changes in our understanding of the lichens and lichenicolous fungi of Great Britain and Ireland. Each volume will be devoted to a pa...

The cosmopolitan plant genus Clematis contains many climbing species that can be found worldwide. The genus occurs in the wild and is grown commercially for horticulture. Microfungi on Clematis were collected from Belgium, China, Italy, Thailand and the UK. They are characterized by morphology and analyses of gene sequence data using an integrated...

Fungi that are barely lichenized or non-lichenized and closely related to lichenized taxa, the so-called borderline fungi, are an important element in reconstructing the evolutionary history of lichenized lineages. Arthoniaceae is a prime example including non-lichenized, saprotrophic lineages which potentially were precursors to lichenized taxa. I...

A new species of Synarthonia , S. leproidica , is described from Luxembourg. Phylogenetic analyses of mtSSU and RPB 2 sequences were used to determine the generic affiliation of this sterile species. Synarthonia leproidica differs from all other species of the genus by the combination of a leproid thallus and the production of psoromic acid. It is...

Cryptothecia aleurodes was considered to be a widespread, rare tropical lichen having white ascigerous areas and a crustose whitish-grey thallus containing norstictic acid. A revision of its type specimen from Guadeloupe and the study of recent specimens from Martinique proved that the species has been misunderstood. In this paper, Cryptothecia ale...

This article provides an outline of the classification of the kingdom Fungi (including fossil fungi. i.e. dispersed spores, mycelia, sporophores, mycorrhizas). We treat 19 phyla of fungi. These are Aphelidiomycota, Ascomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Basidiomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, Caulochytriomycota, Chytridiomycota, Entomoph...

A first checklist of the lichens and lichenicolous fungi from the Republic of Mauritius is presented. It is based on older literature reports and on collections made by the authors, mainly in 2016, from the isles of Mauritius and Rodrigues. A total of 216 species are accepted, either as relevant specimens have recently been critically studied or re...

Molecular data and culture-dependent methods have helped to uncover the phylogenetic relationships of numerous species of lichenicolous fungi, a specialized group of taxa that inhabit lichens and have developed diverse degrees of specificity and parasitic behaviors. The majority of lichenicolous fungal taxa are known in either their anamorphic or t...

The lichenicolous fungi growing on Graphidales hosts in Florida are revised, mainly based on collections by the second author (R. C.). Twenty-one species are recognized. The new genus and species Lawreya glyphidiphila is described for a common asexual fungus growing on Glyphis scyphulifera and more rarely Trypethelium eluteriae , characterized by b...

The Basidiomycota constitutes a major phylum of the kingdom Fungi and is second in species numbers to the Ascomycota. The present work provides an overview of all validly published, currently used basidiomycete genera to date in a single document. An outline of all genera of Basidiomycota is provided, which includes 1928 currently used genera names...

Opegrapha multipuncta and Schismatomma quercicola are two sterile European lichens reproducing only vegetatively by means of soredia. RAxML and Bayesian analyses of newly generated sequence data from the mitochondrial ribosomal RNA small subunit provide clear evidence that these two species do not belong to the Arthoniomycetes, but to the Lecanorom...

This article is the tenth series of the Fungal Diversity Notes, where 114 taxa distributed in three phyla, ten classes, 30 orders and 53 families are described and illustrated. Taxa described in the present study include one new family (viz. Pseudoberkleasmiaceae in Dothideomycetes), five new genera (Caatingomyces, Cryptoschizotrema, Neoacladium, P...

Opegrapha leucophila and O. onchospora, two species of lichen-forming fungi originally described from Colombia, are newly combined in the genus Ancistrosporella because of their paraphysoids with enlarged and brown apices and their ascospores that lack a gelatinous sheath and have one end curved to hooked. Lectotypes are designated for O. leucophil...

Background and aims – The Arthoniaceae form a species-rich family of lichenized, lichenicolous and saprophytic fungi in the order Arthoniales. As part of taxonomic revisions of the African Arthoniaceae, a number of species assignable to the genus Synarthonia were collected and sequenced. The present study aims at placing the genus in a phylogeny fo...

Astrochapsa martinicensis is described as new to science. It is characterized by a whitish-farinose thallus, 6–8-spored asci, (4–)5–7(–9)-septate ascospores of (12.5–)14–24(–29) × (4.5–)5–6.5(–7) µm and a chemistry with one terpenoid and traces of UV+ substances. The new species was discovered among lichen specimens collected in 2013 on the island...

Ochrolechia incarnata comb. nov. is reinstated from the synonymy of O. parella. This saxicolous species is morphologically very similar to O. parella, but differs from the latter phylogenetically and chemically in the production of olivetoric acid causing a C+ red reaction of the apothecial margin medulla. Ochrolechia incarnata is so far known from...

Lichenicolous fungi represent a highly specialized and successful group of organisms that live exclusively on lichens, most commonly as host-specific parasites, but also as broad-spectrum pathogens, saprotrophs or commensals. We present here the most recent update to the classification of lichenicolous fungi in the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota to g...

A taxonomic monograph of the ascomycete genus Taeniolella (asexual dematiaceous hyphomycetes, sexual morphs unknown) is provided. Recent phylogenetic analyses demonstrated the polyphyly of this genus. The type species of Taeniolella pertains to the Kirschsteiniotheliaceae within Dothideomycetes, while other saprobic species clustered far away withi...

Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to am...

Lichen-gastropod interactions generally focus on the potential deterrent or toxic role of secondary metabolites. To better understand lichen-gastropod interactions, a controlled feeding experiment was designed to identify the parts of the lichen Argopsis friesiana consumed by the Subantarctic land snail Notodiscus hookeri. Besides profiling seconda...

We report here the draft de novo genome assembly, transcriptome assembly, and annotation of the lichen-forming fungus Arthonia radiata (Pers.) Ach., the type species for Arthoniomycetes, a class of lichen-forming, lichenicolous, and saprobic Ascomycota. The genome was assembled using overlapping paired-end and mate pair libraries and sequenced on a...

Phylogenetic analyses using mtSSU and nuITS sequences of Buellia violaceofusca (previously placed in Lecanoromycetes), a sterile, sorediate lichen having a trebouxioid photobiont, surprisingly prove that the species is conspecific with Lecanographa amylacea (Arthoniomycetes), a fertile, esorediate species with a trentepohlioid photobiont. These res...

Enterographa confusa is described as new to science from Cuba. It is characterized by a lichenicolous habit, punctiform ascomata immersed in the host thallus, (6–)8-spored asci and 3-septate ascospores of 17–23 × (2.5–)3 µm with a distinct gelatinous sheath of 1.5(–2) µm. The new species was discovered by chance in the thallus of type material of A...

Two new species of Arthoniaceae are described from old-growth European forests: Arthonia thoriana from Horner Combe in Great Britain and Inoderma sorediatum from the Białowieża Forest in Poland. Phylogenetic analyses using mtSSU sequences were used to determine the generic affiliation of the two species. Arthonia thoriana is characterized by a non-...

Enterographa sorediata is a corticolous, crustose lichen endemic to the southern part of Great Britain where it is confined to old-growth woodlands. This lichen is rarely fertile and mainly characterized by a sorediate thallus producing protocetraric acid. However, phylogenetic analyses using nuLSU, RPB2 and nuITS sequences suggest that E. sorediat...

Based on an exhaustive sampling of all known Lepidostromatales, a lineage of clavarioid lichen-forming basidiomycetes, we assess (i) the phylogenetic affinities of the six Chinese species currently accommodated in Multiclavula (Cantharellales) based on inferences from the 18S and 28S subunits of the nuclear ribosomal DNA repeat and (ii) the phyloge...

Altogether 274 taxa of lichens and lichenicolous fungi are reported from Panama, of which 185 are new records for the country. Beside that, ten species are described as new to science, including seven lichenized fungi (Bacidina convexa, Cliostomum subcorrugatum, Halecania panamensis, Micarea granuloblastidiata, Myriotrema hypoconsticticum, Ocellula...

Four species of Arthothelium from Africa and Socotra are described as new to science: Arthothelium atrorubrum from Madagascar, characterized by irregularly rounded blackish ascomata with a deeply red hypothecium and submuriform ascospores; Arthothelium aurantiacopruinosum from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, characterized by black, irregularl...

Knowledge of the relationships and thus the classification of fungi, has developed rapidly with increasingly widespread use of molecular techniques, over the past 10–15 years, and continues to accelerate. Several genera have been found to be polyphyletic, and their generic concepts have subsequently been emended. New names have thus been introduced...

The lichenized genus Steinera is revised for the archipelagos of Crozet and of Kerguelen, with a high level of endemism revealed. It is shown to represent a good example of convergent evolution between two different orders. Phylogenetic analyses using nuLSU, RPB1 and mtSSU sequences show that two different species groups can be recognized: Steinera...

Due to an error, the Mycobank registration was not included in the paper. Here we add the registration and repeat the diagnosis and description.

Heterocyphelium is a mazaediate genus containing a single species, H. leucampyx . The species was originally described from Cuba within the genus Trachylia ( Arthoniales , Arthoniaceae ) and later placed in various genera of the collective order Caliciales s. lat. For the past three decades, Heterocyphelium was considered an orphaned genus ( incert...

The new species Heterodermia pindurae, found in the Nyungwe and Volcanoes National Parks in Rwanda, is described and illustrated. It differs from the morphologically similar H. subcomosa and H. pellucida in the minute, only 0.3–0.6 cm long thallus, blackish cilia, lack of laciniae, the pedicellate, cup-like apothecia with sorediate margins and prod...

The digitization of herbaria and their online access will greatly facilitate access to plant collections around the world. This will improve the efficiency of taxonomy and help reduce inequalities between scientists. The Botanic Garden Meise, Belgium, is currently digitizing 1.2 million specimens including label data. In this paper we describe the...

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) still enjoys widespread popularity among lichenologists as one of the fastest and simplest analytical strategies, today remaining the primary method of assessing the secondary product content of lichens. The pitfalls associated with this approach are well known as TLC leads to characterizing compounds by comparison w...

The new genus and species Ducatina umbilicata is described from Îles Crozet and Îles Kerguelen. This lichen is characterized by an umbilicate thallus with a black verrucose lower surface and a greyish to dark olivaceous smooth upper surface having large verrucae, large semi-immersed cephalodia, semi-immersed apothecia with a prominent thalline marg...

A new Arthothelium species, A. hymeniicola in the apothecia of an unidentified Bacidia sp., is described from Campbell Island, New Zealand. The new species is remarkable, not only by being the first lichenicolous Arthothelium species, but also by being an endohymenial fungus not forming ascomatal structures. Previously, no Arthoniaceae species were...

The new species Austrella isidioidea , which is unique in the genus in having isidioid structures on the thallus lobe ends as well as apothecia lacking a thalline margin, is described from the Falkland Islands. A collection with an identical mtSSU rDNA sequence to A. arachnoidea but with significant morphological differences ( viz . a variable apot...

Notodiscus hookeri is the only native land snail of the sub-Antarctic present in Crozet Archipelago. Two shell ecophenotypes co-exist on Possession Island and feed exclusively on lichens [1] that are symbiotic organisms widely distributed in sub-Antarctic islands. To improve our understanding of lichen-snail trophic interactions, the endemic tripar...

The following 46 new species of Trypetheliaceae are described: Astrothelium aenascens Aptroot from Papua New Guinea, which is similar to A. aenoides but differs by the hamathecium which is not inspersed; A. alboverrucoides Aptroot from Indonesia with globose ascomata with constricted base, internally similar to A. megaspermum ; A. clypeatum Aptroot...

We provide an expanded and updated, 2-locus phylogeny (mtSSU, nuLSU) of the lichenized fungal family Trypetheliaceae , with a total of 196 ingroup OTUs, in order to further refine generic delimitations and species concepts in this family. As a result, the following 15 clades are recognized as separate genera, including five newly established genera...

Ochrolechia kerguelensis Ertz & Kukwa is described as new to science from the subantarctic islands of Kerguelen. It is characterized by pruinose ascomata, usually 4-spored asci, large ascospores of 50-90 × 32-56 µm, the production of gyrophoric acid only in the apothecia and the lack of variolaric acid. A photobiont with cells containing orange gut...

Taeniolella is a genus of asexual ascomycetes with saprophytic, endophytic and lichenicolous life styles. A phylogeny of representative species of the genus is presented, with a focus on lichenicolous taxa. We obtained mtSSU and nuLSU sequence data from culture isolates of Taeniolella and from freshly collected specimens of other species. The genus...

Cryptophaea, a new corticolous lichen genus, is described from the Congo basin as belonging to the cryptothecioid Arthoniaceae. It is characterized by (1) maculiform, tomentose, brownish ascomata lacking a distinct exciple, (2) the absence of a distinct hamathecium of paraphysoids, (3) a byssoid crustose thallus with a trentepohlioid photobiont, (4...

The bacterial and microeukaryotic biodiversity was studied using pyrosequencing analysis on a 454 GS FLX+ platform of partial SSU rRNA genes in terrestrial and aquatic habitats of the Sør Rondane Mountains, including soils, on mosses, endolithic communities, cryoconite holes, and supraglacial and subglacial meltwater lenses. This inventory was comp...

We provide an expanded and updated, 2-locus phylogeny (mtSSU, nuLSU) of the lichenized fungal family Trypetheliaceae, with a total of 196 ingroup OTUs, in order to further refine generic delimitations and species concepts in this family. As a result, the following 15 clades are recognized as separate genera, including five newly established genera:...