ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Figure from article: From one to five putative...
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
In this study, we analyzed the genetic diversity within Usnea flavocardia, a widespread species found in all continents except Antarctica. The species is characterized by a shrubby thallus growth form, the presence of soralia, a yellow central axis and/or the presence of red dots on the cortex. Using ITS rDNA and two protein-coding genes (mcm7 and rpb1) in a multispecies coalescent (MSC) approach, we showed that U. flavocardia comprises five different lineages, four of which can be considered as putative new species. Each of the five lineages, except one, is characterized by specific chemical compounds. Within the outgroup that was used in this study, we furthermore showed that U. gaudichaudii and U. eulychniae, both endemic to Chile, constitute a new major clade in the subgenus Usnea s.str.
FUNDING
This study was partly supported by the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève and the Fondation Ernst et Lucie Schmidheiny that supported the laboratory fees, the Geneva University, the Association des Amis du Jardin botanique, the Société de Physique et d’Histoire naturelle de Genève (Bourse Augustin Lombard) and the Société Botanique Suisse that supported the different field trips.
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