The Lichen Genus (Lobariaceae, Peltigerales) in East African Montane Ecosystems.

The lichen flora of Africa is still poorly known. In many parts of the tropics, recent studies utilizing DNA methods have revealed extraordinary diversity among various groups of lichenized fungi, including the genus . In this study, East African species and their ecology are reviewed using the genetic barcoding marker nuITS and morphological characters. The studied regions represent montane areas in Kenya and Tanzania, including the Taita Hills and Mt. Kilimanjaro, which belong to the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot. Altogether 14 species are confirmed from the study region, including the previously reported , , , and . , , , , and are reported as new to Kenya and/or Tanzania. , , , , and , are described as new to science. The abundance of new diversity detected and the number of taxa represented by only few specimens show that more comprehensive sampling of the region may be needed to reveal the true diversity of in East Africa. More generally, our results highlight the need for further taxonomic studies of lichenized fungi in the region.