Palicella lueckingii (Lecanorales, Ascomycota), a new lichen species inhabiting Araucaria from the extratropical South America

Palicella lueckingii is a newly described corticolous lecideoid lichen from the Malalcahuelo National Reserve growing on the bark of Araucaria araucana in Chile. Detailed morphological studies and inference from molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of single gene locus (ITS), clearly indicate that the new species is a member of the recently introduced genus Palicella. Palicella lueckingii is most closely related to P. glaucopa, but clearly differs in having smaller ascospores, comparatively thicker thallus, epruinose apothecia, lack of oil droplets inside of exciple and presence of thiophanic acid as a major metabolite.