Phylogeny of Xanthoria calcicola and X. parietina, based on rDNA ITS sequences.

In English The relationship between the two lichen species Xanthoria calcicola and X.
parietina was investigated at genetic level, comparing the ITS regions of the
rDNA. The extracted DNA was amplified with the primers ITS4 and ITS5 in
a PCR and automatically sequenced. The variation within the separate
species was smaller than the variation between the species. Compared to a
third species, X. elegans, the variation was smaller between X. parietina and
X. calcicola than between any of them compared to X. elegans. When the
sequences was evaluated in the phylogenetic computer software Phylo_win
with eleven other lichen species, the genus Xanthoria was clearly separated
and the investigated species tn Xanthoria showed the same differentiated
pattern as above. These results clearly demonstrate that X. calcicola and X.
parietina are two closely related but genetically distinct species.