September-December 2021:
I attended the Mobility Programs, Synthesys—Synthesis of Systematic Resources— under the project “Accessing biodiversity of the rich-species genus Usnea (Ascomycota, Fungi) on the tropics using a Phylokey approach”. The objective was to study hundreds specimens deposed on B herbarium (from Brazil, Colombia and The Philippines). Althought the Lichens of the general herbarium were nearly completely destroyed during World War II, the herbarium comprises more than 100,000 specimens, some of those remained not identified and corresponds a really treasure to discover the diversity found in these rich countries .  For those interested in learning more about the herbarium B, this is a great lecture: The collections of the Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem (B) and their history by Paul Hiepko.
 

I worked with Dr. Robert Lücking in Berlin (BGBM) on multiple Usnea projects. We prepared about 200 fragments for thin layer chromatography analyses mostly for specimens from Colombia. Some interesting new records and putative new species for Colombia are under studies towards a monograph of the genus for this large and rich country.  My first objective of this visit was to study about 140 specimens recently collected on the Philippines by me and Dr. Manuela Dal Forno, from which we obtained molecular data for 50 specimens. I prepared another 20 samples for DNA extraction (thanks to Dr. Bibiana Moncada for the lab work!). A phenotypic excel table with 45 entry was completed for about 230 specimens. Our paper about this Philippines specimens will be submitted late 2022. 

 

Moreover, I reviewed about 100 Usnea specimens collected by F. Mattick on Brazil; it was very nice to be able to recognize some of the recently new proposed species from the Usnea cornuta aggregate described in my paper (Gerlach et al. 2020). I found also some undescribed saxicolous species , including one collected at Parque nacional do Itatiaia and from which I have already successful obtained ITS DNA sequences. Moreover I found some vouchers for two more undescribed species from my thesis (to be published on the Fungal Diversity Notes) and another one belonging to the Usnea columbiana morphotype (waiting to acquire DNA sequences).

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Thanks to Dr. Agnes Kirchhoff (to planning my stay at the BGBM!), to Dr. Robert Lücking (my host at BGBM), Dr. Manuela Dal Forno (lichenologist- BRIT institution) and Dr. Philippe Clerc (Geneva Botanical Garden) to their important collaboration on this project !

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