The presence of the foliose cyanolichen Sticta sylvatica in eastern North America has been called into question due to the absence of high-quality, verifiable material and the common misuse of its name. Recently, specimens collected in the Great Smoky Mountains have been verified as having the typical S. sylvatica morphology. Although molecular data remain inconclusive regarding the entity's genetic distinctiveness from the phenotypically dissimilar S. limbata, we argue that the decline in the abundance of this morphological entity worldwide along with the need for further genetic study make continued conservation efforts imperative.
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1 March 2014
The Status of Sticta sylvatica, an ‘Exceedingly Rare’ Lichen Species, in Eastern North America
Brendan P. Hodkinson,
James C. Lendemer,
Tami McDonald,
Richard C. Harris
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Evansia
Vol. 31 • No. 1
March 2014
Vol. 31 • No. 1
March 2014
conservation
Fungi
ITS
molecular barcoding
taxonomy