Researchers at the MACS Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have described five previously unknown species of lichen-forming fungi belonging to the genus Allographa, discovered in the biodiversity-rich forests of the Western Ghats. The findings, published in the journal Mycological Progress, represent the first comprehensive molecular phylogenetic investigation of Allographa species from the region and add fresh scientific weight to the Western Ghats’ standing as one of the world’s major biodiversity hotspots.
Allographa is a genus of so-called “script lichens,” named for the elongated, writing-like fruiting bodies they produce, and belongs to the family Graphidaceae, which counts more than 200 species worldwide. Lichens themselves are not single organisms but partnerships between a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, typically algae or cyanobacteria. Because they are highly sensitive to air pollution, climate shifts, and habitat disturbance, lichens are widely used by ecologists as bioindicators of forest health, meaning their presence, absence, or diversity can reveal a great deal about the condition of an ecosystem long before more visible signs of degradation appear.
The research was led by scientist Rajeshkumar K. C. as principal investigator, working with doctoral student Ansil P. A., a CSIR Senior Research Fellow, and technical officer Dr Bharati Sharma as co-principal investigator. The team combined traditional taxonomic methods, relying on morphological and chemical analysis, with modern molecular phylogenetics, sequencing three genetic markers, mtSSU, nrLSU, and RPB2, from specimens collected during extensive field surveys across tropical forest habitats in the Western Ghats. This dual approach allowed the researchers to evaluate species boundaries with far greater precision than morphology alone permits, since many Allographa species had previously been classified largely on the basis of physical appearance.
The five newly described species are Allographa keralensis, named after the state of Kerala; Allographa nayakae, named in honour of veteran Indian lichenologist Dr Sanjeeva Nayaka; Allographa paraconsanguinea; Allographa persistinspersa; and Allographa semicarbonisata. Alongside these new descriptions, the team also generated fresh molecular sequence data for several already-known species, including A. calcea, A. macella, A. aquilonia, A. rimulosa, and A. effusosoredica, creating a stronger genetic reference library for future taxonomic work.
Notably, the DNA analysis revealed that species which look similar to the naked eye are not always closely related, underscoring how appearance alone can be an unreliable guide when identifying lichens. The study’s authors say their molecular dataset establishes a valuable baseline for future biodiversity assessments, conservation planning, and systematic research on tropical lichens, both in India and in similarly under-studied regions elsewhere in the world. With molecular knowledge of Indian Allographa species having remained limited until now, particularly from the Western Ghats, the discovery is expected to support more rigorous long-term environmental monitoring and to help identify ecologically sensitive zones that merit stronger conservation protection.
– Dr. Devi Sriveni Bolisetti
