Pulvinora brandegeei (Tuck.) Mazur & Śliwa 2025

Pulvinora brandegeei (Tuck.) Mazur & Śliwa comb. nov.

Lecidea brandegeei Tuck. [as ‘ brandegei’], Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 10: 21 (1883). Basionym.

Type.

U. S. A. ‘ Colorado • [ Chaffee Co.], St. Elmo , 1880, T. S. Brandegee 25 ’ [ lectotype FH 00513679 ! – designated by Davydov & Printzen, The Bryologist 124 (2): 251. 2021] .

Notes.

The species Lecanora brandegeei is described in detail and discussed in publications by Lamb (1939), Ryan et al. (2004), McCune (2017), and recently also by Davydov et al. (2021 a, b). McCune (2017) specifically accepts it to be synonymous with L. pringlei , which is substantiated by Tuckerman (1883), who also indicated a close affinity between the two species. Ryan et al. (2004) proposed L. brandegeei as a subspecies of L. pringlei , whereas Davydov et al. (2021 a, b) suggested a new combination, bringing the taxon to the species level again. The two species morphologically differ from each other in their thallus morphology. The thallus of L. pringlei is quite stalked and pseudopodetioid in nature, having cushion-like habits, whereas the thallus of L. brandegeei is squamulose with slightly swollen squamules. A broader morphological concept of the genus Pulvinora by inclusion of P. cavicola and P. subcavicola also allows L. brandegeei to be a member of the genus. Moreover, the chemistry of the latter species shows similarity to P. pringlei , as it produces atranorin, alectorialic and psoromic acids. Therefore, even with no molecular support, the inclusion of L. brandegeei appeared fully reasonable.