This is a key to all species of Candelariaceae which are likely to occur in Italy, for a total of 25 species. The key includes species of three genera:
1) Candelaria, a subcosmopolitan genus of 7 species occurring on nutrient-rich or -enriched substrata, 2 of which are known from Europe, including Italy. According to Westberg & al. (2007) the genus is probably polyphyletic and should possibly be restricted to comprise only polyspored species with a lower cortex.
2) Candelariella, a well-known and commonly occurring genus of the Candelariaceae, including c. 50 species growing on many types of substrates, particularly in exposed and nitrogen-enriched sites. The species are a prominent component of the lichen biota on e.g., road-side trees, limestone rocks and in alpine, terricolous habitats. However, the knowledge of the distribution and ecology of individual species is often still very poor. The genus itself, also after the segregation of , appears to be heterogeneous (see Kondratyuk & al. 2020). An earlier key to European species was published by Poelt & Vězda (1977), a key to North American species was provided by Westberg & al. (2011b), and a treatment of Southwest Asian species by Westberg & Sohrabi (2012). As shown by Westberg & Clerc (2012) and Clerc (2022), a more intense collection and study of European specimens could be a rewarding effort, as there are many interesting discoveries to be made in this rather neglected group of lichens.
3) Protocandelariella, a small segregate from Candelariella, differing in molecular data and in importgant morphological characters, such as the minutely squamulose, grey thallus, the biatorine apothecia, and the cylindrical to flask-shaped conidiogenous cells developing on the lower surface of squamules, and producing subglobose conidia. The genus name was already proposed by Poelt (1974), but without a formal description; for further details see Kondratyuk & al. (2020).
Seventeen species are known to occur in Italy (see Nimis 2016), but further species are likely to be present. For this reason, the key also includes some species which are known to occur in neighbouring countries, and which should be looked for in Italy.


References

Clerc P. 2022. Lichens (Ascomycetes lichénisés) nouveaux ou intéressants pour la Suisse et/ou le canton de Genève - 3. Saussurea, 51: 193-208.
Hakulinen. R. 1954: Die Flechtengattung Candelariella Mull. Argoviensis, mit besonderer Berucksichtigung ihres Auftretens und ihrer Verbreitung in Fennoskandien. Ann. Bot. Soc. Zool. Bot. Fenn. 'Vanamo' 27, 3: 1-127.
Kondratyuk S.Y., Lőkös L., Jeong M.-H., Oh S.-O., Kondratiuk A.S., Hur J.-S. 2020. Contributions to molecular phylogeny of lichen-forming fungi, 1. The family Candelariaceae. Acta Botanica Hungarica. 62, 3-4: 293-307.
Nimis P.L. 2016. The Lichens of Italy. A Second Annotated Catalogue. EUT, Trieste, 739 pp.
Poelt J. 1974. Zur Kenntnis der Flechtenfamilie Candelariaceae. Ein Beitrag mit besonderer Berücksichtigung einiger südamerikanischer Arten. Phyton, 16: 189-210.
Poelt J., Vězda A. 1977. Bestimmungsschlüsel europäischer Flechten. Ergänzungsheft I. Bibliotheca Lichenologica, 9: 1-258.
Westberg M. 2007a Candelariella (Candelariaceae) in western United States and northern Mexico: the species with biatorine apothecia. The Bryologist, 110: 365-374.
Westberg M. 2007b Candelariella (Candelariaceae) in western United States and northern Mexico: the polysporous species. The Bryologist, 110: 375-390.
Westberg M. 2007c Candelariella (Candelariaceae) in western United States and northern Mexico: the 8-spored, lecanorine species. The Bryologist, 110: 391-419.
Westberg M., Clerc P. 2012. Five species of Candelaria and Candelariella (Ascomycota, Candelariales) new to Switzerland. MycoKeys, 3: 1-12.
Westberg M., Sohrabi M. 2012. A conspectus of the lichen genus Candelariella (Candelariaceae, Ascomycota) in Southwest Asia with emphasis on Iran. Nova Hedwigia, 95, 3-4: 531-546.
Westberg M., Arup U., Kärnefelt I. 2007. Phylogenetic studies in the Candelariaceae (lichenized Ascomycota) based on nuclear ITS DNA sequence data. Mycol. Res., 111, 11: 1277-1284.
Westberg M, Morse C.A., Wedin M. 2011. Two new species of Candelariella and a key to the Candelariales (lichenized Ascomycetes) in North America. The Bryologist, 114: 325–334.

Last modified: November, 20, 2024

Project Dryades, Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste - CC BY-SA 4.0