Local population subdivision in the lichen Cladonia subcervicornis as revealed by mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 intron sequences

A 753-771 bp long intronic sequence from the mitochondrial cox I gene of Cladonia subcervicornis (Cladoniaceae, Lecanorales, Ascomycota) was amplified with newly designed PCR primers. The cox I intron sequence, which apparently has not been used for phylogenetic or population genetic research in fungi, displays high infraspecific variation. Sequences were obtained from 124 specimens from four neighboring localities in coastal Hordaland, western Norway. An exact test of population differentiation and population pairwise fixation indices F-ST show significantly reduced gene flow between the northernmost locality and the other three populations. Although Cladonia subcervicornis frequently produces apothecia, we conclude that dispersal by ascospores over long distances is rather ineffective in this species.