With well over 2000 species the Parmeliaceae is the largest family of lichenized fungi. Mexico with its huge topographic relief and wide range of habitats is one of the major biodiversity hot spots in the world. Accordingly, it is not surprising that this volume documents over 20% of the world’s Parmeliaceae from this country. In fact a vast majority of the Parmeliaceae known from North America are covered in this volume. Descriptions (morphological and chemical), keys, distribution information and extensive specimen citations covering all states in Mexico are provided in the systematic treatments covering 450 species from Alectoria, Anzia, Bryoria, Bulbothrix, Canoparmelia, Cetraria, Cetrelia, Hypotrachyna, Flavoparmelia, Hypogymnia, Imshaugia, Kaernefeltia, Letharia, Melanelixia, Melanohalea, Menegazzia, Montanelia, Myelochroa, Nodobryoria, Oropogon, Parmelia, Parmelina, Parmelinella, Parmeliopsis, Parmotrema, Parmotremopsis, Phacopsis, Protoparmelia, Pseudephebe, Pseudevernia, Pseudoparmelia, Punctelia, Relicina, Remototrachyna, Tuckermanella, Tuckermannopsis, Usnea, and Xanthoparmelia. Keys to genera are based on the most recent molecular data. All the species of Parmotrema known for North America are covered in the keys. The book begins with a review of the physiographic aspects and biodiversity of Mexico and proceeds to the first lichen community phylogenetic analysis for the major ecological communities in Mexico based on the Parmeliaceae.
The book will be useful to anyone studying the lichens of Mexico as well as adjacent regions in Central America, the Caribbean, and the United States.

Im digitalen Zeitalter werden dicke in klassischer Manier geschriebene Bücher immer weniger. Die Herausgeber sind für Ihr fundiertes lichenologisches Wissen bekannt und daher sicherlich die richtigen für ein derart umfassendes Werk über eine einzige, allerdings äußerst artenreiche Flechtenfamilie.
Die Parmeliaceae sind mit über 2000 Arten die größte Familie der Flechten. Im vorliegenden Band werden 20 % der Arten behandelt, die alle in Mexiko nachgewiesen werden konnten. Durch die Mannigfaltigkeit an Lebensraumtypen ist Mexiko einer der Hotspots der Biodiversität und ein großer Teil der aus Nordamerika bekannten Parmeliaceae ist in diesem Band enthalten. Siebzehn Autoren sind an diesem Werk beteiligt. Das Buch ist in 39 einzelne Kapitel unterteilt, die jeweils eine Gattung umfassen und mit Ausnahme der Literatur selbständige Publikationen der jeweiligen Autoren sind. In der Einleitung wird das Untersuchungsgebiet mit seiner Topographie, Geologie, Klima, Vegetationstypen und biogeographischen Regionen vorgestellt. ein weiteres Kapitel erläutert die phylogenetischen Strukturen der Metagesellschaften der Mexikanischen Parmeliaceen und vergleicht die Verbreitungsmuster über die fünf größten Biome hinweg. Es folgt eine Synopsis der Gattungsklassifikation unter Berücksichtigung der neuesten molekulargenetischen Entwicklung und daraus resultierend auch eine Neukombination, Kaernefeltia iberica. Auch ein Schlüssel zu den Gattungen findet sich hier. Den Schwerpunkt bildet die systematische Bearbeitung der Gattungen mit über 450 Arten. Die Gattungen werden in alphabetischer Reihenfolge behandelt, jeweils mit Beschreibungen der morphologischen und chemischen Merkmale, Schlüssel zu den Arten, Verbreitungsangaben, und Auflistung der untersuchten Belege, die alle Bundesstaaten Mexikos abdecken: Enthalten sind die Gattungen Alectoria, Anzia, Bryoria, Bulbothrix, Canoparmelia, Cetraria, Cetrelia, Hypotrachyna, Flavoparmelia, Hypogymnia, Imshaugia, Kaernefeltia, Letharia, Melanelixia, Melanohalea, Menegazzia, Montanelia, Myelochroa, Nodobryoria, Oropogon, Parmelien, Parmelina, Parmelinella, Parmeliopsis, Parmotrema, Parmotremopsis, Phacopsis, Protoparmelia, Pseudephebe, Pseudevernia, Pseudoparmelia, Punctelia, Relicina, Remototrachyna, Tuckermanella, Tuckermannopsis, Usnea und Xanthoparmelia. Etliche Neubeschreibungen oder Neukombinationen von Arten, z.B. Alectoria ochroleucoides, Hypotrachyna guerrerensis, Parmotrema nyasense, Parmotrema submoreliense, Pseudevernia alectoronica, P. mexicana und Tuckermanella rickieae sind im Text eingebettet. Die Holo- oder Isotypen neuer Arten sind durch Farbfotos illustriert, es finden sich auch einige rasterelektronenmikroskopische Aufnahmen. Insgesamt sind die Abbildungen jedoch eher wenig, doch ist das Buch auch so schon sehr dick und es wäre wohl schwierig gewesen mehr Abbildungen unterzubringen ohne den Rahmen des Buches zu sprengen. Einige mehr hätten jedoch auf den Leerseiten Platz gehabt, die sich durch die Auftrennung in Einzelkapitel ergeben haben. Die Artenzahl der Gattungen ist naturgemäß sehr unterschiedlich, von einer Art bis zu über sechzig (z.B. Usnea). Vermisst habe ich einen Index zu den Arten sowie eine Liste aller enthaltenen taxonomischen Neuigkeiten. Auch wären Illustrationen mancher mikroskopischen Merkmale eine weitere Bereicherung gewesen.
Insgesamt gesehen ist dieses Werk jedoch sorgfältig recherchiert und gut gelungen. Es wird sicher zu den Standardwerken für Lichenologen und Mykologen zählen, die sich mit Flechten Mexikos, Mittelamerikas und der Karibik sowie den USA beschäftigen.

Irmgard Krisai-Greilhuber

Österr. Z. Pilzk. 26 (2017) – Austrian J. Mycol. 26 (2017)

In the digital age, thick books written in classic style become less and less. The editors are known for their in-depth knowledge of lichens, so they are certainly the right people for such a comprehensive work on a single but extremely diverse lichen family.
The Parmeliaceae are the largest family of lichens with over 2000 species. The present volume deals with 20% of the species that were all detected in Mexico. Due to the diversity of habitat types, Mexico is one of the hotspots of biodiversity and much of the Parmeliaceae known in North American is included in this volume. Seventeen authors are involved in this work. The book is divided into 39 individual chapters, each comprising a genus and (except of the literature) being an independent publication of the respective authors. In the introduction, the study area is presented with its topography, geology, climate, vegetation types and biogeographical regions. Another chapter discusses the phylogenetic structures of the Mexican Parmeliaceen metacommunities and compares the distribution patterns across the five largest biomes. This is followed by a synopsis of the genus classification, taking into account the latest molecular genetic development and, as a result, a new combination, Kaernefeltia ibérica. Also a key to the genera can be found here. The focus of the book is on the systematic presentation of the genera with more than 450 species. The genera are treated in alphabetical order, each with descriptions of the morphological and chemical characteristics, key to the species, distribution, and listing of the material examined covering all states of Mexico: Included are the genera Alectoria, Anzia, Bryoria, Bulbothrix, Canoparmelia, Ce-trelia, Cetrelia, Hypotrachyna, Flavoparmelia, Hypogymnia, Imshaugia, Kaemefeltia, Letharia, Melanelixia, Melanohalea, Menegazzia, Montanelia, Myelochroa, Nodobryoria, Oropo-gon, Parmelias, Parmelina, Parmelinella, Parmeliopsis, Par-motrema, Parmotremopsis, Phacopsis, Protoparmelia, Pseudephebe, Pseudevernia, Pseudoparmelia, Punctelia, Rel-icina, Remototrachyna, Tuckermanella, Tuckermannopsis, Usnea, and Xanthoparmelia. Several new species or new combinations, e.g. Alectoria ochroleucoides, Hypotrachyna guerre-rensis, Parmotrema nyasense, Parmotrema submoreliense, Pseudevernia alectoronica, P. mexicana, and Tuckermanella rickieae are embedded in the text. The holo- or isotypes of new species are illustrated by colour photographs, and there are also a few scanning electron micrographs. Overall, however, the pictures are rather few, but the book is very thick and it would have been difficult to accommodate more. However, some more could have been included on the blank pages resulting from splitting into individual chapters. The species number of the genera is naturally very different, from one species to over sixty (e.g., Usnea). I have missed an index to the species as well as a list of all taxonomic novelties included. Also, illustrations of some microscopic features would have been a further asset.
Overall, however, this work has been carefully researched and well done. It will certainly be among the standard works for lichenologists and mycologists who deal with lichens of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean and the United States.

Irmgard Krisai-Greilhuber Wien, Austria

Sydowia 69 (2017)

Lichens of Mexico—The Parmeliaceae is a valuable resource that will soon be consulted even outside of its intended region. The fact that 20% of the world’s Parmeliaceae (including the vast majority known from North America) occur in Mexico make this volume helpful in keying out lichens outside of the country, particularly in adjacent Central America, Caribbean, and United States. Its use of the recent realignment of species into phylogenetically supported groups and genera is a particular benefit.
Thick, dense, but compact, the book is held easily in one hand. Its sturdy hardcover appears rain- and incidental spillage-proof, and its firmly bound pages of ‘permanent paper conforming to ISO 9706-1994” do not crackle when splayed to prepare for heavy use. The text is crisp and legible, although the spacing is a bit tight for my aging eyes and the margins are far too narrow, forcing one’s eye to jump occasionally from one long line to another—all trade offs needed to keep the book affordable and under 800 pages long. This economy of space has the unfortunate result that even when opened firmly, text on inside margins tends to trail off into the crease. The semi-glossy photos are sharp and clear but amazingly few: As its title clearly indicates, the volume focuses on keys and descriptions. Nonetheless, readers who do read the text should be able to check most of their determinations easily against the excellent photos in Brodo et al. (2001).
Three introductory chapters set the framework for the 450 species to follow. The first, covering Mexico’s geology, topography, vegetation, and diversity, provides four maps, two colored to distinguish the different climates and biomes. The country’s 2 million km2 surface area and varied landscape, climate, and ecosystems accommodate ~12% of the world’s species. Herrera-Campos et al. note that it has been historically difficult to classify Mexico’s biological landscape due the convergence of the Holarctic and Neotropical realms in the Tropic of Cancer, leading to the recognition of (if not agreement on) 10–32 vegetation types within the five biomes.
The second chapter — Phylogenetic structure of metacommunities in Mexican Parmeliaceae — presents the first lichen community phylogenetic analysis for Mexico based on the Parmeliaceae. Lücking et al. note that the relatively young community phylogenetics field tries to characterize the phylogenetic structure of ecological communities, thereby ‘providing insights into evolutionary process’ based on the theory ‘that closely related species do not usually co-occur in the same community.’ The few fungal and micro-organismal studies published before 2006 make these 29 pages the first to apply community phylogenetics to lichens. The 12½- page table shows the presence/absence of the 450 species in Mexico’s five major biomes—tropical humid forest, humid mountain forest, temperate forest, seasonally dry forest, and dry shrubland. Species richness and phylogenetic diversity is highest in the temperate forest and lowest in the humid mountain and tropical humid forests, supporting the temperate forest as a center of diversity for Mexican Parmeliaceae while less diverse and more clade-specific composition of the seasonally dry forest and dry shrubland favor lineages of the parmotremoid/xanthopermelioid clade and Oropogon.
The third introductory chapter presents a molecular-based synopsis of generic classification of Parmeliaceae: since 2000, the ‘increased availability of DNA sequence data has led to a second revolution of generic delimitations in Parmeliaceae based on molecular phylogenetic studies addressing the circumscription of genera.’ Crespo et al. briefly evaluate currently accepted genera, recapitulating recent changes in their circumscription and dividing the family into 7 phylogenetic groups:
Alectorioid — Circumscriptions of Alectoria, Bryoria, and Pseudephebe remain relatively unchanged. The 2009 separation of Gowardia from Alectoria is not currently supported, while Nodobryoria, segregated previously from Bryoria, appears not closely related to Bryoria.
Cetrarioid — Cetraria, Kaernefeltia, Melanelia, Tuckermanella, Tuckermannopsis [sic], Vulpicida represent a usually well-supported monophyletic clade, although current circumscriptions are needed in some instances. “Genetic distances among many currently accepted genera are remarkably low.... Thus at least some of the genera should most likely be merged.” In this chapter Crespo & Barrano propose the new Kaernefeltia iberica comb. nov. for extralimital Spanish specimens previously referred to K. merrillii, a North American endemic.
Hypogymnioid — The first sentence reads: “this group consists of four foliose genera”, but only three are named (probably because the authors counted Cavernula, whose species were transferred to Hypogymnia in 2011). Brodoa [not found in Mexico] and Pseudevernia are the other two hypogymnioid genera cited here.
Letharioid — Segregation of Letharia (found in Mexico) and Lethariella awaits further research.
Parmelioid — This largest group accommodates over 1800 accepted species. Of the 21 accepted genera, 5 (Bulbothrix, Parmelia, Parmelinella, Parmotremopsis, Pseudoparmelia) are currently polyphyletic, in a state of flux, or lack molecular data; three (Canoparmelia, Hypotrachyna, Xanthoparmelia) were recently trimmed for monophyly, and three (Melanelixia, Melanohalea, Remotrachyna) are recent segregates. The remaining 10 well-supported monophyletic genera include Cetrelia, Flavoparmelia, Montanelia, Myelochroa, Parmelina, Parmeliopsis, Parmotrema, Phacopsis, Punctelia, and Relicina.
Protoparmelioid — confined to the polyphyletic Protoparmelia.
Usneoid — limited to one genus (Usnea) with 350 species and the most highly diverse in tropical areas. Usnea now includes previous segregates (e.g., Dolichousnea, Eumitria, Neuropogon) phylogenetically nested within it.
Genera with uncertain affinities — Anzia, characterised by multispored asci with small curved ascospores and a spongiostratum, is centered in eastern Asia. Imshaugia is distinguished by Parmeliopsis-like species with emergent laminal/marginal pycnidia and bacilliform/bifusiform conidia. Menegazzia, diagnosed by a perforated upper thallus surface, occurs primarily in the southern hemisphere. The morphological segregation of Nodobryoria from Bryoria is molecularly supported. Oropogon a fruticose lichen of the Neotropics with a currently unresolved phylogeny.
A key to the identification of genera representing Parmeliaceae in Mexico concludes the introduction.
A formidable array of Parmeliaceae experts have written chapters for this volume, with Editors Herrera-Campos (5), Pérez-Pérez (9), and Nash (24) and authors R.S. Egan (5), T.L. Esslinger (10), J.A. Elix (4) each contributing to more than two chapters while J.W. Bjerke, A. Crespo, P.K. Divakar, S.D. Leavitt, James Lendemer, Robert Lücking, H.T. Lumbsch, Bruce McCune, I.KK. Tronstad, J.L. Vilmaseñor, and A. Zambrano Garcia each contributed to at least one.
Thirty-nine generic chapters covering 450 species comprise the bulk (and the goal) of The Parmeliaceae. The note added in proof at the bottom of the section’s title page hints at editorial headaches suffered over collating over 40 papers, with many undoubtedly arriving only shortly before press time:
“Herein Dr. Egan proposes treating everniastrum subplanum Sipman as a synonym of Parmotrema paramoreliense whereas the former species was treated as Hypotrachyna subplanum in the Hypotrachyna treatment as proposed by Divakar et al. (2013a). The correct placement must await molecular investigations of all relevant material.”
Genera are presented in alphabetical order and entitled with the genus name + in Mexico (except for “Menegazzia in Mexico and the Caribbean islands”). The chapters range in length from one page (Cetraria, Phacopsis) to 103 pages (Hypotrachyna, Parmotrema), depending on the number of species. Formatting is consistent: Title and author information are followed by abstract, short genus characterization, and species key (for genera with more than one species covered). Each species treatment begins with the taxonomic heading and nomenclator followed by morphological description, chemical composition, distribution data, and important notes and concludes with a list (often extensive) of specimens examined. Alphabetical presentation —a necessity in such a large volume with no index—and running titles enable rapid location of a particular genus. Eight species new to science are proposed in the Alectoria (2), Hypotrachyna (1), Parmotrema (2), Pseudevernia (2), and Tuckermanella (1) chapters.
There are a few deviations, perhaps the most startling being that only the species key, taxonomic headings, illustration references, and distributional data appear are provided for Canoparmelia; I regret the absence of the rest of the material but suspect that the fact this chapter was written by two already overcommitted editors, Pérez-Pérez & Nash, may have something to do with the decision to withhold the morphological and chemical features [referenced in the abstract as “Descriptions were provided previously”] and final discussions for the 13 species. Still, it will be a bit of a hassle for some readers to find the correct ‘previous’ paper for the missing information.
I also greatly mourn the lack of a concluding comprehensive species index that would allow easy tracking of new taxonomic realignments, always helpful to those wondering what name a favored species has recently adopted. The information can be ferreted out of the nomenclators, although the reader must know the new name to find out what happened to the old one. This does, however, have the benefit of persuading the user to consult the keys, the whole purpose of the volume!
Finally, given the focus on phylogenetic analysis of biomes, groups, and genera in this volume, I was exasperated by the lack of information regarding which DNA regions were sequenced to generate the phylogenies. A time-consuming scan of the 31-page bibliography proved somewhat helpful, although I found only three titles naming the DNA regions: mitochondrial DNA (Crespo & al. 2001), ITS & ß-tubulin (Crespo & al. 2002), and ribosomal markers + RPB1 (Crespo & al. 2007). Inspection of the multilocus sequences analyzed by Altermann et al. (2014), however explains why modern titles do not enumerate all DNA regions used: citing their 15 different loci (even in the abstract) would have needlessly lengthened the paper and the authors cited the needed information in their Materials & methods table. Nonetheless, the nuclear ITS, LSU and mitochondrial SSU rDNA sequences cited in the abstract for “DNA barcoding in the Hypotrachyna clade” abstract (Divakar et al. 2015) is information that should have been shared under Hypotrachyna in the third chapter. Likewise identifying the DNA barcode used to identify hidden diversity in Parmelia sensu stricto (Divakar et al. 2015) as derived from the ITS region should have been noted for that genus.
The rapid change in the complex molecular landscape is perhaps one reason why most authors use vague terms such as ‘molecular analyses’, ‘DNA sequence based’, or ‘phylogenetic analyses’ in their titles (saving the lengthier specifics for the abstracts). If a second edition is anticipated, a brief list of the DNA regions sequenced used to generate the phylogenetic support and their utility (even if just in table form) would be welcome.
The objections raised above are minor and should in no way discourage anyone from purchasing such a useful book that does precisely what it sets out to do: key and describe 450 lichens representing Parmeliaceae from Mexico. As noted above, its use will not (nor should) be restricted to Mexico and the reference will prove a reliable resource for all those who use it. I am very happy to have Lichens of Mexico: The Parmeliaceae on my lab library shelves.

Lorelei Norvell, Pacific Northwest Mycology Service

MYCOTAXON October–December 2017—Volume 132, pp. 995-1001

At nearly 730 pages and with the usual compact format of the series plus hardback binding, this volume is a small brick of a book. It features almost everyone who is anyone in Parmeliaceae research, and as such provides a sound foundation for its study in Mexico and beyond – indeed of North America in general: over 80% of the region’s species for the family are included, and some 25% worldwide.
The three initial chapters provide introductions to the physical and biogeography (and effective ecology) of the country (HERRERA-CAMPOS et al.), the community structure of the family across five major biomes (LÜCKING et al.) and its generic classification from the latest molecular data, also including a useful generic key (CRESPO et al.). Thirty-nine subsequent chapters cover individual genera, from Alectoria to Xanthoparmelia, varying in length from a single page (and species: Cetraria, Kaernefeltia, Phacopsis) to over a hundred pages each (Hypotrachyna [80 species], Parmotrema [85], Usnea [66]) including some 450 species in total, and a significant number of new country and state records. Each has a key to the species covered, where there is more than one. Species entries include synonymy, reference to an illustration (or more), a concise description, chemistry, distribution, supplementary notes (distributional, ecological, taxonomic, etc.), Mexican type if appropriate, and citation of specimen(s) examined. A majority of chapters are by NASH (25), either alone or with coauthors, followed by PÉREZ-PÉREZ (10) and ESSLINGER (9).
A 30-page bibliography completes – and covers the whole – volume, making for slightly awkward practical usage, though no doubt resulting in economy. Colour figures and/or plates are few and far between (I counted a dozen), mostly of the new species: more would have been welcome, though obviously adding a premium to both price and space. The lack of an index seems an oversight, although the fact that genera and, within those, species, are arranged alphabetically obviates a real need for one, synonymy excepted. A list of nomenclatural and taxonomic novelties – two new combinations and eight new species – would have been useful for indexing purposes: Alectoria brodoana Essl. (p. 72), A. ochroleucoides Essl. (76), Hypotrachyna guerrerensis T.H. Nash & Elix (191), Kaernefeltia iberica (A. Crespo & Barreno) A. Crespo & Barreno (57, invalid according to Art. 42.1 of the Melbourne Code, lacking citation of an identifier from a registration depository), Parmotrema neodiffractaicum (381), P. nyasense (C.W. Dodge) Egan (383, not indicated in the abstract, and similarly invalid), P. submoreliense Egan (409), Pseudevernia alectoronica Egan (438), P. mexicana Egan (446) and Tuckermanella rickieae Essl. (498).
The target audience for this book is ambiguous: it is just about the right size for a field guide, but lacks the appropriate introductory and illustrative material essential for that. It invites comparison with two major, and now ageing, lichen reference works of the region, though very different in format: NASH et al.’s three volume Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region (2002-2007) and BRODO & SHARNOFFS’ Lichens of North America (2001), recently effectively updated by BRODO’s Keys to ... (2016), and sits comfortably somewhere between the two extremes – in both field and lab – in terms of scope and utility.

Ken Hudson

Bibliography of Systematic Mycology October 2017, volume 14, Part 4, Nos. 2625-3378