Multilocus-based phylogeny and species recognition within the cosmopolitan Peltigera neopolydactyla-dolichorhiza complex

The Peltigera neopolydactyla/dolichorhiza complex is broadly distributed, growing in boreal and temperate regions from northern Norway to southern Chile, as well as in tropical mountains. Observed morphotype and chemotype variation within this complex suggested the presence of multiple undescribed species. We inferred the phylogeny of Peltigera section Polydactylon with a special focus on the Peltigera neopolydactyla/dolichorhiza complex to determine the full breadth of this species complex, and to assess if taxa from different parts of the worlds but with similar morphological features share a most recent common ancestor. About 525 ITS sequences representing 104 distinct haplotypes were generated for representatives of Peltigera section Polydactylon. We selected a representative of each broadly defined phylotype for which three protein-coding loci: RPB1.1, b-tubulin and EFT2.1 were sequenced. Each of the three protein coding loci provided equivalent or more resolution and support than the ITS locus. The greatest proportion of significantly supported nodes across the tree resulted from β-tubulin alone. Many specimens identified as P. neopolydactyla and P. dolichorhiza are placed outside of this species complex. As currently defined both species represent polyphyletic assemblages of taxa including several potentially undescribed species. Our phylogenies suggest the presence of putatively new species within several complexes across the section.