THE MEDITERRANEAN RAMALINA-PANIZZEI NORTH OF THE ALPS - MORPHOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL AND RDNA SEQUENCE DATA

Ramalina panizzei De Not. is reported from Switzerland and north of th e Alps for the first time. Recent collections and thalli found amongst specimens of R. fastigiata (Pers.) Ach. are described; the species is obviously not restricted to the Mediterranean. The confusion in sever al herbaria around this and related corticolous species, particularly R. subgeniculata Nyl. and R. fastigiata, can be traced back to impreci se original and subsequent diagnoses, all of which lack a clear specie s delimitation. Similarities and differences of these species are disc ussed. In addition, sequences from the rDNA ITS regions were determine d for two individuals of R. panizzei and two of R. fastigiata, includi ng one of each from a site where both species grow intermixed. Kimura 2-parameter genetic-distance estimates indicate that R. panizzei and R . fastigiata are as different from each other as either is from the re ference species R. siliquosa (Hudson) A. L. Sm. s.l. A broad-based tax onomic revision of involved species is not possible due to the limited number of analyses, but the results demonstrate the potential for usi ng DNA sequence data to investigate species-level questions in lichens . Based on morphology, chemistry, and DNA sequence data, R. panizzei i s retained as a distinct species. (C) 1997 The British Lichen Society.