Twenty-Eight New Records of Lichenized Fungi from Nepal: A Signature of Undiscovered Biodiversity in Central Himalaya

Twenty-eight new records of lichenized fungi have been reported from the community forest of Dadeldhura situated in Mahakali zone of far west Nepal. The species diversity is distributed in 13 families (Acarosporaceae, Arthoniaceae, Caliciaceae, Chrysothrichaceae, Cladoniaceae, Collemataceae, Graphidaceae, Lecanoraceae, Parmeliaceae, Physciaceae, Pyrenulaceae, Ramalinaceae, Verrucariaceae), showing 4 growth forms (squamulose, crustose, foliose and dimorphic) reported from three (soil, bark and rocks) substrata. A brief annotated morpho-taxonomic description of all the 28 species along with their ecology and distribution is given. Photomicrographs of all the described species are provided for visual validation. Taxonomic, growth form and substratum diversity of all 28 described species is discussed. A supplementary conspectus table is provided, giving overview of the phorophyte diversity of corticolous species along with the taxonomy and growth form diversity of described lichen species. The findings have been discussed in light of less explored region in central Himalaya and importance of community forests in Nepal for diversity studies.