A New Lichenized Fungus, Psoroglaena humidosilvae, from a Forested Wetland of Korea, with a Taxonomic Key to the Species of Psoroglaena.

Psoroglaena humidosilvae Lee is described as a new lichen species from a wetland forest in South Korea. The new species is distinct from P. stigonemoides (Orange) Henssen by little projections locally present on the thallus; smaller, paler, and globose perithecia; smaller asci; and smaller ascospores generally 3-septate. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS), mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU), and nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU) sequences strongly support P. humidosilvae as a nonidentical species in the genus Psoroglaena. A surrogate key is provided to assist in the identification of all 22 species of Psoroglaena.

Two new Rinodina lichens from South Korea, with an updated key to the species of Rinodina in the far eastern Asia.

Rinodinasalicis Lee & Hur and Rinodinazeorina Lee & Hur are described as new lichen-forming fungi from forested wetlands or a humid forest in South Korea. Rinodinasalicis is distinguishable from Rinodinaexcrescens Vain., the most similar species, by its olive-gray thallus with smaller areoles without having blastidia, contiguous apothecia, non-pruinose discs, paler disc color, wider ascospores in the Pachysporaria-type II, and the absence of secondary metabolites. Rinodinazeorina differs from Rinodinahypobadia Sheard by areolate and brownish thallus, non-pruinose apothecia, colorless and wider parathecium, narrower paraphyses with non-pigmented and unswollen tips, longer and narrower ascospores with angular to globose lumina, and the absence of pannarin. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences strongly support the two new species to be unique in the genus Rinodina. An updated key is provided to assist in the identification of all 63 taxa in Rinodina of the far eastern Asia.

A New Lichen-Forming Fungus, Aspicilia humida, from a Forested Wetland in South Korea, with a Taxonomic Key for Aspicilioid Species of Korea.

Aspicilia humida Lee is described as a new lichen-forming fungus from a wetland forest, South Korea. The new species is distinguishable from Aspicilia aquatica (Fr.) Körb., the most similar species, by the absence of prothallus, black disk without green color in water, olive-brown epihymenium, shorter hymenium, hymenium I + yellowish blue-green, wider paraphysial tips without a vivid pigment, smaller asci, smaller ascospores, and the presence of stictic acid. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) sequences strongly support A. humida as a distinct species in the A. cinerea group. A surrogate key is provided to assist in the identification of all 28 aspicilioid species of Korea.

A new species and four new records of Bacidia (Lecanorales, Ramalinaceae) from South Korea, with a key to Korean species.

A new species, Bacidiafuscopallida Lee & Heo and four new records, B.ekmaniana R. C. Harris, Ladd & Lendemer, B.friesiana (Hepp) Körb., B.heterochroa (Müll. Arg.) Zahlbr. and B.suffusa (Fr.) A. Schneid., are described from South Korea. Bacidiafuscopallida differs from B.diffracta S. Ekman, the most similar species, by warted but non-granular thallus, paler and smaller apothecia without pruina, proper exciple without crystals, over 11-septate ascospores and smaller pycnidia and pycnoconidia. Bacidiaekmaniana is recorded new to Asia, B.heterochroa is reported new to northeastern Asia and B.friesiana and B.suffusa are new to Korea. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences strongly support the classification of the five species of Bacidia. A surrogate key is provided to assist in the identification of all 19 taxa in Bacidia of Korea.

Two new calcicolous caloplacoid lichens from South Korea, with a taxonomic key to the species of Huriella and Squamulea.

Pyrenodesmiarugosa Lee & Hur and Huriellaaeruginosa Lee & Hur are described as new lichen-forming fungi from a calcareous mountain of South Korea. Pyrenodesmiarugosa is distinguishable from Pyrenodesmiamicromontana (Frolov, Wilk & Vondrák) Hafellner & Türk, the most similar species, by thicker thallus, rugose areoles, larger apothecia, shorter hymenium, shorter hypothecium and narrower tip cells of paraphyses. Huriellaaeruginosa, the second new species, differs from 'Squamulea' chelonia Bungartz & Søchting by dark greenish-grey to grey thallus without pruina, gold to yellow-brown epihymenium, larger ascospores and thallus K- and KC- reaction. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS), mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) and nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU) sequences strongly support the two caloplacoid species to be distinct in their genera. A surrogate key is provided to assist in the identification of all 20 taxa in Huriella and Squamulea.

Two new lecanoroid lichen species from the forested wetlands of South Korea, with a key for Korean Protoparmeliopsis species.

Lecanoraparasymmicta Lee & Hur and Protoparmeliopsiscrystalliniformis Lee & Hur are described as new lichen species to science from the forested wetlands in southern South Korea. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) sequences strongly support the two lecanoroid species to be distinct in their genera. Lecanoraparasymmicta is included in the Lecanorasymmicta group. It is morphologically distinguished from Lecanorasymmicta (Ach.) Ach., its most similar species, by areolate-rimose thallus, blackish hypothallus, larger apothecia, absence of thalline excipulum from the beginning, narrower paraphyses, larger ascospores, smaller pycnoconidia, and the presence of placodiolic acid. The second new species Protoparmeliopsiscrystalliniformis is included in a clade with Protoparmeliopsisbipruinosa (Fink) S.Y. Kondr. and P.nashii (B.D. Ryan) S.Y. Kondr., differs from Protoparmeliopsisertzii Bungartz & Elix, its most morphologically similar species, by whitish thallus, flat to concave and paler disc, longer ascospores, thallus K+ yellow reaction, presence of atranorin and rhizocarpic acid, and the substrate preference to sandstone or basalt. A key is provided to assist in the identification of Protoparmeliopsis species in Korea.

Two New Lichen Species, Thelopsis ullungdoensis and Phylloblastia gyeongsangbukensis from Korea.

Two new species, Thelopsis ullungdoensis and Phylloblastia gyeongsangbukensis are described from Ullung-Do (Island), South Korea. The closest relatives from Europe and Korea are epiphytic Thelopsis flaveola which differs by their immersed or semi-immersed yellow ascomata, ascospores without halo and their habitat of smooth bark (mainly Fagus) in humid and cold climates. Thelopsis gangwondoensis differs by its bigger semi-immersed ascomata (600-700 µm in diam.), oblong halonate ascospores (8-12 × 6-8 µm) and its habitat of smooth bark of deciduous trees. P. gyeongsangbukensis differs from its relatives within the genus in having 5-septate ascospores (22-26 × 6-8 µm), semi-immersed, subglobose ascomata with a flattened top (250-400 µm) and a thin, matt, uneven gray-brown to gray-green continuous thallus without isidia.

A new lichenized fungus, Lecanora baekdudaeganensis, from South Korea, with a taxonomic key for Korean Lecanora species.

Lecanora baekdudaeganensis Lee & Hur is described as a new lichenized fungus from Baekdudaegan Mountains, South Korea. The new species is classified into the Lecanora subfusca group - allophana type and distinguishable from Lecanora imshaugii Brodo by a darker thallus, brownish disc, K-insoluble granules on the surface of the epihymenium, shorter hypothecium, and the presence of oil droplets in the apothecial section. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) sequences strongly support Lecanora baekdudaeganensis as a distinct species in the genus Lecanora. A surrogate key is provided to assist in the identification of all 52 taxa in the genus Lecanora of Korea.

Arthonia ulleungdoensis, a New Lichenized Fungus from Ulleung Island, South Korea.

Arthonia ulleungdoensis Lee & Hur is described as a new lichen species from South Korea. The new species is distinguishable from Arthonia ruana A. Massal. by its large, rounded and non-punctiform apothecia, taller apothecial section, asci with fewer spores, and larger and permanently colorless spores. Molecular analyses employing mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) and RNA polymerase subunit II (RPB2) sequences strongly support Arthonia ulleungdoensis as a distinct species in the genus Arthonia. Overall, 22 Arthonia species are currently recorded in South Korea. A surrogate key is provided to assist in the identification of all 10 taxa of Arthonia/Arthothelium with muriform spores in Northeast Asia.

Arthonia dokdoensis and Rufoplaca toktoana - Two New Taxa from Dokdo Islands (South Korea).

Arthonia dokdoensis sp. nov., a lichenicolous fungus from the subcosmopolitan Arthonia molendoi complex growing on crustose thalli of species of the genus Orientophila (subfamily Xanthorioideae, Teloschistaceae), as well as the lichen species Rufoplaca toktoana sp. nov. (subfamily Caloplacoideae, Teloschistaceae) similar to Rufoplaca kaernefeltiana, both from Dokdo Islands, Republic of Korea, are described, illustrated, and compared with closely related taxa. In the phylogenetic tree of the Arthoniaceae based on 12S mtSSU and RPB2 gene sequences, the phylogenetic position of the A. dokdoensis and the relationship with the A. molendoi group are illustrated, while the position of the newly described R. toktoana is confirmed by phylogenetic tree based on ITS nrDNA data.

Three New Species and Nine New Records in the Genus Arthonia from South Korea.

Arthonia coreana, Arthonia superpallens, and Arthonia zelkovae are new species from South Korea. All new species are in the Euarthonia tribe, based on the key characteristics of colorless hypothecium and multi-cellular spores. A. coreana has a dull brownish hypophloedal thallus without bleaching and rounded or curved big apothecia in comparison with those of Arthonia punctiformis. A. coreana consistently exhibits 4-septate ascospores, which is a distinctive characteristic that distinguishes it from other Arthonia species. A. superpallens has a white-greenish thallus, pale yellowish apothecia, and a trentepohlioid alga. However, A. superpallens has no distinct prothallus, adnate, and convex apothecia, no pycnidia, and is UV-, in contrast with related species in the Arthonia antillarum group. A. zelkovae has a white, epiphloedal thallus, brownish-black epruinose apothecia covered with a whitish bark layer, and smaller ascospores in comparison with those of A. punctiformis. A. zelkovae consists of a chlorococcoid alga, which differs from related Arthonia species such as A. punctiformis, Arthonia pinastri, and Arthonia glaucella. Although A. zelkovae is similar to Arthonia dispersa in its white-colored thallus, blackish apothecia, and the presence of a chlorococcoid photobiont, A. zelkovae differs from the latter in having larger-sized 3-septate ascospores. Arthonia cinnabarina f. marginata, A. glaucella, Arthonia ilicinella, Arthonia lapidicola, Arthonia leioplacella, Arthonia pertabescens, A. pinastri, Arthonia spadicea, and Arthonia stellaris are newly described in Korea. The diagnostic characteristics of these species are discussed and presented. An artificial key is provided to facilitate identification of Arthonia species from Northeast Asia.