Fouragea gyrophorica sp. nov. from China, with morphological and phylogenetic evidence

A new species Fouragea gyrophorica is described from China. It is most similar to F. vegae, but differs by its sparsely to densely branched apothecia, and it often has an obvious prothallus, and the presence of gyrophoric acid detected by TLC. This is the first report that Fouragea contains lichen substances. An analysis of its relationships based on molecular phylogeny is given. A world key to the species of Fouragea is also presented.

Automated summary

A new species, Fouragea gyrophorica, is described from China, which is most similar to F. vegae but shows differences in apothecia branching, presence of prothallus, and the detection of gyrophoric acid. This finding also reports the presence of lichen substances in Fouragea for the first time. Molecular phylogeny analysis and a world key to Fouragea species are provided.