Multilocus Molecular Phylogeny of the Group (Umbilicariaceae, Lichenized Ascomycota) Supports Species Level and Neo-Endemic Status of .

The Northeast Asian endemic species of lichen-forming fungus is herein discussed in the global context of biogeography and phylogeny of the group. The name has been erroneously used by lichenologists for spp. from high latitudes or altitudes worldwide, as there are omphalodisc apothecia and rough "crystals" of a necral layer on the upper surface.

Low genetic differentiation between apotheciate Usnea florida and sorediate Usnea subfloridana (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota) based on microsatellite data.

Accurate species delimitation has a pivotal role in conservation biology, and it is especially important for threatened species where decisions have political and economic consequences. Finding and applying appropriate character sets and analytical tools to resolve interspecific relationships remains challenging in lichenized fungi. The main aim of our study was to re-assess the species boundaries between Usnea subfloridana and Usnea florida, which have been phylogenetically indistinguishable until now, but are different in reproductive mode and ecological preferences, using fungal-specific simple sequence repeats (SSR), i.