High lichen species richness in Polylepis australis forest: new records from South America and Argentina

The Polylepis australis forests in Central Argentina support a great biodiversity in a relative small area. As a result of this study focusing on the diversity and ecology of the lichen communities of these forests, we present five new species for South America: Rinodina ficta , R. malcolmii , R. obscura , Usnea glabrata , Tetramelas triphragmioides and eight taxa new for Argentina: Calicium abietinum , Erioderma leylandii subsp. leylandii , Leptogium microstictum , Phaeophyscia endococcinodes , Rinodina dolichospora , R. intermedia , Usnea cirrosa and U. flavocardia . Unidentified Usnea species, similar to U. silesiaca , were also characterized and discussed.