Taxonomic Study on the Lichen Genus Xanthoparmelia (Ascomycotina, Parmeliaceae) in Korea

In previous studies investigating the genus Xanthoparmelia, thirteen different species have been reported from South Korea alone. However, there currently has been no revisional study performed until now. To explore the genus Xanthoparmelia, a phenotypic analysis was performed based on morphological, anatomical and chemical characters, while an investigation of Xanthoparmelia phylogeny was based on nuclear ribosomal (nr) DNA ITS sequences. A thorough examination of the specimens deposited in the Korean Lichen Research Institute (KoLRI) confirmed that eight species of Xanthoparmelia occur inside South Korea. Our analysis further confirmed the colors of the lower surface and medullar chemistry are important taxonomic characters in Xanthoparmelia. This study also presents a detailed description of each species and a key to the genus.