Parmelia encryptata
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Parmelia encryptata | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecanorales |
| Family: | Parmeliaceae |
| Genus: | Parmelia |
| Species: | P. encryptata |
| Binomial name | |
| Parmelia encryptata A.Crespo, Divakar & M.C.Molina (2011) | |
Parmelia encryptata is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.[1] Originally reported from the Iberian Peninsula and now confirmed from parts of Central and Eastern Europe, it is a semi-cryptic species that is a member of the Parmelia sulcata species complex, and it is morphologically indistinguishable from that lichen. Molecular phylogenetic analysis, however, shows that it forms a distinct monophyletic lineage separate from P. sulcata. Parmelia encryptata has been estimated to have diverged from the P. squarrosa complex about 5 million years ago. When wet, thalli often show a yellowish-green cast and smoother, narrow-lobed margins, features that can help separate it from the otherwise look-alike P. sulcata.
Parmelia encryptata was formally described as a new species in 2011 by Ana Crespo, Pradeep Kumar Divakar, and Maria del Carmen Molina. The specific epithet encryptata refers to its cryptic nature, as it is morphologically indistinguishable from P. sulcata but genetically distinct.[2] The holotype specimen was collected from Herbès, Sierra de la Creu in Castellón, Spain, at an elevation of 1000 m, growing on Quercus (oak). Parmelia encryptata was initially identified as P. sulcata based on morphological characters before molecular analysis revealed it as a separate species. Phylogenetic studies using three molecular markers (nuITS, nuIGS rDNA, and partial β-tubulin gene) demonstrated that P. encryptata forms a strongly supported monophyletic group independent of P. sulcata sensu stricto.[2] Subsequent re-evaluations using ITS barcoding confirmed the species and expanded its range in Europe; a 2021 study also pointed to subtle but repeatable differences in rhizine structure relative to P. sulcata.[3] Molecular dating places the split from the P. squarrosa complex in the late Neogene, roughly 5 million years ago.[4]
The discovery of P. encryptata as a cryptic species emerged from earlier studies by Crespo and colleagues (1999),[5] which had shown unexpected genetic variability within what was then considered P. sulcata. This discovery added to a growing body of evidence that traditional morphological methods for species delimitation in lichenized fungi may underestimate actual species diversity.[2]
