Researchers assessed the species diversity and relationships of lichens of the genus Leptogium based on DNA analysis with
Research article on the speciesthe diversity of the genus Leptogium, a group of jelly lichens common in the mountain forests of East Africa. Thousands of lichen specimens were collected in Kenya and Tanzania in 2009-2017, including almost 600 Leptogium specimens.
DNA analysis showed that the Leptogium dataset included more than 70 different species, a dozen of which were previously unknown.
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“Morphological differences between species are oftenare elusive and open to interpretation, and the external differences of individual species can also vary greatly depending on environmental factors. Even chemical characteristics cannot be used to accurately identify them, ”the scientists noted.
Due to species identification problems, sampleslichens with more or less similar appearance, collected from different parts of the world, are traditionally assigned to the same species. However, new research data shows that the number of lichen species is much higher than previously thought.
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