ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess


Abstract Number: 6124
Session = 8.4.6


PELTIGERA REVISITED


J. Midlikowska* and François Lutzoni#, *Dept. of Plant Ecology and NatureProtection, University of Gdansk, Poland, # The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, USA


One major problem in lichen systematics is the delimitation of species. The traditional approach for species circumspection by lichenologists has been to seek discontinuities in morphological-anatomical and chemical characters. One caveat of this method is the difficulty to discriminate between phenotypic plasticity versus phenotypic variation derived from genotypic variability. The genus Peltigera shows great morphological and chemical variation at both intra- and interspecific levels (especially within the canina species complex). The taxonomy of Peltigera has been traditionally based on vegetative features of the thallus and occasionally on sets of terpenoids. The large subunit nrDNA of 96 specimens representing 46 taxa of Peltigera, and the ITS region of 40 specimens from the canina group were sequenced. Data matrices were compiled for DNA sequences, morphological-anatomical and chemotaxonomic characters. The phylogenetic information from these data sets will be compared and integrated to form a new classification at the subgeneric level and will provide guidelines for future species circumscriptions.


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