Hodkinson, B.P./ Lendemer, J.C./ McDonald, T./ Harris, R.C. 2014: The status of Sticta sylvatica, an %93exceedingly rare%94 lichen species in eastern North America. - Evansia31(1): 17-24. [RLL Suppl.] Keywords: CONSERVATION/ FUNGI/ ITS/ MOLECULAR BARCODING/ TAXONOMY
Abstract: The presence of the foliose cyanolichen Sticta sylvatica in eastern North America has been called into question due to the absence of high-quality, verifiable material and the common misuse of its name. Recently, specimens collected in the Great Smoky Mountains have been verified as having the typical S. sylvatica morphology. Although molecular data remain inconclusive regarding the entity's genetic distinctiveness from the phenotypically dissimilar S. limbata, we argue that the decline in the abundance of this morphological entity worldwide along with the need for further genetic study make continued conservation efforts imperative.