Contribution to the phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Taeniolella, with a focus on lichenicolous taxa.

Taeniolella is a genus of asexual ascomycetes with saprophytic, endophytic, and lichenicolous life styles. A phylogeny of representative species is presented, with a focus on lichenicolous taxa. We obtained mtSSU and nuLSU sequence data from culture isolates of Taeniolella and from freshly collected specimens of other taxa. Taeniolella is recovered as strongly polyphyletic. The type species, Taeniolella exilis, is placed in Kirschsteiniotheliaceae within Dothideomycetes. Other saprophytic/endophytic Taeniolella species previously assigned to Sordariomycetes based on sequences were found to represent either contaminants or species that cannot be assigned to Taeniolella for morphological reasons. Lichenicolous species are restricted to Asterotexiales (Dothideomycetes) where the sequenced species of Taeniolella do not form a monophyletic group, but are related to species of Buelliella s. lat., Karschia, Labrocarpon, Melaspilea s. lat., and Stictographa. Molecular data are, however, not sufficient to reallocate the lichenicolous Taeniolella species to other genera so far. Anamorph-teleomorph relationships between these taxa and lichenicolous Taeniolella are discussed but could not be demonstrated. The type of Buelliella is placed in Asterotexiales, and the genus recovered as polyphyletic. Three new lichenicolous Taeniolella species are described, Taeniolella hawksworthiana, Taeniolella pyrenulae and Taeniolella toruloides. Taeniolella rudis is transferred to Sterigmatobotrys.

The "Martian" flora: new collections of vascular plants, lichens, fungi, algae, and cyanobacteria from the Mars Desert Research Station, Utah.

The Mars Desert Research Station is a Mars analog research site located in the desert outside of Hanksville, Utah, U.S.A. Here we present a preliminary checklist of the vascular plant and lichen flora for the station, based on collections made primarily during a two-week simulated Mars mission in November, 2014. Additionally, we present notes on the endolithic chlorophytes and cyanobacteria, and the identification of a fungal genus also based on these collections. Altogether, we recorded 38 vascular plant species from 14 families, 13 lichen species from seven families, six algae taxa including both chlorophytes and cyanobacteria, and one fungal genus from the station and surrounding area. We discuss this floristic diversity in the context of the ecology of the nearby San Rafael Swell and the desert areas of Wayne and Emery counties in southeastern Utah.