῏῍ΐῐῌ (48), pp. 91ῌ137, 2012 ῒ 3 ῎ 28 ῑ Mem. Natl. Mus. Nat. Sci., Tokyo, (48), pp. 91ῌ137, March28, 2012 A Synopsis of the Lichen Genus Usnea (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota) in Taiwan Yoshihito Ohmura Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4ῌ1ῌ1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305ῌ0005, Japan E-mail:
[email protected] Abstract. A key to the 40 taxa in the genus Usnea in Taiwan is presented. Usnea articulata is new to Taiwan. Usnea mutabilis is excluded from the lichen flora of Taiwan. Photographs of diagnostic features are also provided for the species that have not been adequately illustrated previously based on the Asian materials. Orthographical errors were corrected in U. shimadae and U. pseudogatae. Key words: flora, lichenized Ascomycota, morphology, secondary substances, taxonomy, TLC. accepted taxa (39 species and one variety) of Introduction the genus Usnea in Taiwan, along with the The genus Usnea (Parmeliaceae, Ascomy- diagnostic features with images which have not cota) consists of ca. 300 species, and is widely been adequately illustrated previously. distributed from polar zones to tropical area (Kirk et al., 2008). Diagnostic features of the Materials and Methods genus include a fruticose thallus with a cortex, medulla, and a cartilaginous central axis, and This study is primarily based on Ohmura the presence of usnic acid in the cortex. (2001) and Ohmura et al. (2010) and the Monophyly of the genus has been confirmed by herbarium specimens deposited in the National molecular phylogenetic methods using the Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo (TNS) taxa having these synapomorphic features and the National Museum of Natural Science, (Ohmura, 2002; Ohmura & Kanda, 2004; Taichung (TNM), as well as specimens col- Articus, 2004; Wirtz et al., 2006), although lected mainly by the author between 2008 and Articus (2004) elevated several infrageneric 2010.