Researchers from the MACS Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, have reported five new species of the lichen-forming fungal genus Allographa from the Western Ghats. The finding matters because lichens are sensitive indicators of pollution and habitat change, so species-level evidence can support ecological monitoring and conservation planning.
What the study found
The research used traditional taxonomic methods along with multi-locus DNA sequencing to study Allographa diversity in the Western Ghats. The team examined field-collected specimens from tropical forest habitats and combined morphological, chemical, and molecular evidence to reassess species boundaries.
The study described five new species: Allographa keralensis, Allographa nayakae, Allographa paraconsanguinea, Allographa persistinspersa, and Allographa semicarbonisata. The researchers also generated new molecular data for previously known species in the genus.
Background and earlier position
Allographa is a genus of script lichens in the family Graphidaceae. Earlier work from India, especially from the Western Ghats, relied heavily on morphology. The study states that molecular knowledge of Indian Allographa species has been limited, which made evolutionary relationships and species boundaries less certain.
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