PHYLOGENY OF THE PARMELIACEAE - DNA DATA VERSUS MORPHOLOGICAL DATA

In order to identify monophyletic groups within the family Parmeliacea e, eleven taxa (Bryoria capillaris, Cetraria islandica, Evernia prunia stri, Hypogymnia physodes, Parmelia saxatilis, Platismatia glauca, Ple urosticta acetabulum, Usnea florida, Vulpicida juniperina, V. pinastri , and Xanthoparmelia conspersa) were studied using newly produced nucl ear rDNA sequence data from the ITS and 5.8S regions. The resulting ev olutionary hypothesis was compared with results from previous phylogen etic analyses based on anatomy, morphology, and chemistry. The outcome of this comparison does not support the earlier proposed phylogenies but is not stable enough for identifying monophyletic groups, with one exception. The results indicate a close relationship between Cetraria and V;Vulpicida, which is contradictory to previous published analyse s. The variation in ascus structures in the Parmeliaceae is discussed and it is questioned whether the earlier distinguished 'forms' of ascu s types represent synapomorphies, if they are based on poorly supporte d analyses, or if they are exaggerations of relatively slight variatio n in shape. Further interpretations of the results are discussed and a reas of future studies based on DNA-data are suggested. (C) 1998 The B ritish Lichen Society.