Expanding the Tricharina Diversity in Türkiye: The Identification of Tricharina cretea from Nemrut Mountain

The genus Tricharina (Pezizales) presents taxonomic challenges due to the morphological similarities among its species. Currently, 21 species are recognized globally, with three previously reported from Türkiye. This study identifies Tricharina cretea as a new record from Nemrut Mountain (Bitlis/Tatvan), Türkiye, based on morphological and molecular analyses. The species is characterized by shallow, disc-shaped apothecia. Molecular phylogenetics, incorporating internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) regions, were analyzed using Bayesian inference (BI). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that T. cretea is closely related to T. praecox. Concatenated ITS+LSU data facilitated the clear delimitation of T. cretea from related taxa. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations, and comparisons with morphologically and phylogenetically similar species are provided.