Three new sorediate species of Lecanora sensu lato (Ascomycota, Lecanoraceae) from Anhui Province, China

In this study, three new sorediate species, Lecanora apicifarinacea Y. S. Feng & Y. Y. Zhang, L. pseudolayana Y. S. Feng & Y. Y. Zhang and Verseghya megasorediata Y. S. Feng & Y. Y. Zhang from Anhui Province, China, are described and illustrated based on an integrated analysis of morphological, chemical and molecular data. Phylogenetically, L. apicifarinacea and L. pseudolayana are nested within the L. subfusca group. Lecanora apicifarinacea is characterized by the raised and erumpent soralia that aggregated into irregular patches, and the presence of atranorin and usnic acid. L. pseudolayana is characterized by an amphithecium with small crystals, an egranulose epihymenium, marginally small and dispersed but centrally large and aggregated soralia, and the presence of atranorin and zeorin. Verseghya megasorediata is nested within the genus Verseghya and is sister to V. thysanophora . This species is distinguished by its leprose thallus with a white fibrous prothallus, coarse and large soredia, [22.5]–(27.8)–38.9–(50.0)–[87.5] µm in diameter (n = 155), and the presence of usnic acid. In addition, Verseghya klarae is reduced to synonymy with V. thysanophora , based on their morphological similarity, identical secondary metabolites, and the lack of phylogenetic distance. A key to the Lecanora sensu lato species in Anhui Province is provided.