A comparison of ITS and LSU nrDNA phylogenies of <i>Fulgensia</i> (Teloschistaceae, Lecanorales), a genus of lichenised ascomycetes

Abstract

The phylogeny of the lichen genus Fulgensia Massal. &amp; De Not. (Teloschistaceae, Lecanorales) is analysed using maximum parsimony and neighbor joining analyses of nuclear ITS and partial large subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences. Three matrices were analysed with maximum parsimony; an internal transcribed spacer nrDNA matrix, a large subunit nrDNA matrix, and a combined data set. The internal transcribed spacer region contributes 70% of the informative sites to the combined data set. The topology of the trees resulting from the analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region is identical to the tree topology resulting from the combined analysis, but it shows less resolution at basal parts of the tree. Two sites for putative spliceosomal introns in the large subunit nrDNA, at position 808 and 914 (relative to Saccharomyces cerevisiae) are reported. Fulgensia, as currently understood, is polyphyletic and some species have to be excluded. The molecular analyses identified groups of species within the genus that are also supported by anatomical and morphological characters. The results of the analyses are compared with existing classification concepts based on morphological and anatomical data.Key words: LSU, ITS, nrDNA, introns, Fulgensia, phylogeny.