Coniocybe Ach. Revisited

Abstract

Calicioids form a research field that has encompassed ascomycetous fungi with stalked ascomata similar to those of the lichen genus <i>Calicium</i>. Early generic circumscriptions of calicioid lichens and fungi were mainly based on morphological and secondary chemistry information. After the introduction of molecular data, taxonomy in the group has been reconsidered. Here, based on a broad geographical sampling, <i>Coniocybe</i> Ach. was revised using molecular and morphological features. Three loci (ITS, LSU and <i>rpb1</i>) were compared to infer its phylogenetic position, and a total of 52 new sequences (14 ITS, 24 LSU and 14 <i>rpb1</i>) were produced. Apart from its type <i>C. furfuracea</i>, <i>Coniocybe</i> was revised and emended to also include <i>C. brachypoda</i> and <i>C</i>. <i>confusa</i>. In addition, a new species, <i>Coniocybe eufuracea</i>, was described, and a key to the species of <i>Coniocybe</i> was provided.